Dwight Zeck

CROSS PLAINS - After living his life to the fullest, Dwight D. Zeck passed away on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 with family present. Dwight was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 26, 1942 to Anne and Walter Zeck, the first of four boys. The family moved to Eau Claire, WI where he attended a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade and enjoyed his small town upbringing. He participated in Cub and Boy Scouts, camping, community service and proudly earned his Eagle Scout designation in 1957. Fishing trips with his Father, where he could put his scouting expertise to use, were a highlight for him. He often mentioned that the lessons learned in scouting served him well through his entire life.

Dwight excelled scholastically, earning several college scholarships. He once said "I didn't meet a teacher I didn't like". He attended the UW-Eau Claire for two years and worked as assistant manager at the then "brand new" McDonald's as one of their original employees with many of his life-long friends.

In 1960 he transferred to UW-Madison to study Civil Engineering and earned his B.S. in 1965. Structural engineering intrigued him, so he pursued graduate school and student taught structural analysis. He felt fortunate to work as one of the first employees at Arnold & O'Sheridan where he learned so much.

After college Dwight worked for the U.W. Engineering Extension for five years where he organized many institutes, short courses, seminars, etc. for engineers and architects in the construction industry. In 1970 Dwight worked as a marketing representative for SUMMA Corporation which was a consortium of five Madison area architectural, engineering and landscape architectural firms. In that capacity, he met Gustavs M. Martinsons, Architect. He and Gus formed Martinsons/Zeck Inc, an architectural firm later known as MZM Architects, Inc. and Midwest Recreation Facilities, a supplier and erector of handball/racquetball courts. Together they formed HOMZ Partners (a developer of primarily subsidized housing in Iowa and Wisconsin), HOMZ Management Corporation (a property management firm) and numerous general partnerships. Dwight was proud that he and Gus were able to develop, design and/or manage over 3,700 units of quality affordable housing for seniors and families in cooperation with HUD, WHEDA, Rural Development and other governmental agencies. They were especially proud of Woodridge, eighty homes they built in Tomah and leased to the Army for the past twenty years as housing for military families. In addition to housing, Dwight enjoyed his involvement in restaurants, primarily the Prime Quarter Steak House. Both HOMZ Partners and Management Corporation are active businesses that employ over 100 talented individuals, all of whom Dwight knew and appreciated tremendously. He had an exemplary work ethic, was actively involved his entire life, and never intended to retire.

Family played a huge role in his life. His daughter, Lori, has always been a joy to him. When he married Linda in 1984 he gained two step-children, Darrin and Michelle Graham. Those early years were spent getting the pre-teens together, taking trips and forming a blended family. Dwight and Linda had two sons, Christopher and Randall, born in 1988 and 1990 respectively. They were such a joy to Dwight, allowing him to relive his youth. He coached their T-ball, baseball and basketball teams, attending their gymnastics classes (he loved the pit) and could act like a kid again. His love of scouting was revived as he served as Cubmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster for several years. He had both boys out on the golf course at three years of age and instilled a love of the game in them. As the boys outgrew these activities, he enjoyed watching the grandchildren participate.


One of the highlight of our summers dating back to the early 1990s was a golf outing and family reunion with brothers Bill, John and Ted and families as well as the Johann families from Chicago. The golf was fun but the camaraderie was the best. He loved occasions when the families came together to celebrate holidays, weddings, anniversaries or any special event.

Home and cooking were always his refuge and relaxation. He loved treating family and friends to gourmet meals at the "Deer Run Inn". Dwight prided himself on never using the same recipe twice.

In 1990 he purchased a cottage on Whitefish Lake near Minocqua. Dwight took great pride in renovating that cottage into a beautiful lake home with a contractor friend, Merlin Denk. Together they transformed the home into a haven where the entire family can escape, relax and unwind. Watching the sun set on the deck and hearing the loons call was one of his favorite ways to end the day.

U.W. Badgers football and basketball games were a constant source of entertainment for Dwight. He was an avid fan during good years and bad. Many family trips were planned around the football or basketball games or tournaments. Go Badgers!!! And he never missed watching a Green Bay Packer game, no matter what else was going on around him. He always found a television. Go Pack Go!!!

Dwight is survived by his wife Linda, his children Lori (Mike) Engel, Darrin (Shannon) Graham, Michelle (Aric) Sather, Christopher Zeck, Randall Zeck; brothers Bill (Anne) Zeck, John (Linda Lovelace), Ted Zeck; nine grandchildren Adam, Tyler and Teegan Engel, Joshua, Brittanie and Tessa Graham, Sydney, Cody and Livia Sather; many dear aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews; father-in-law Norman King, sister-in-law Shirley Becicka, brothers-in-law Brett (Tracy) King, Larry (Jodie) King, Johnny King; extended family and dear friends including the Gus Martinsons family. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of Dwight's life will be held at the Cress Center, 6021 University Avenue in Madison, WI on Saturday, March 16th from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. to share fond memories, stories, tears and laughter. Dwight will be there in spirit....he always loved a good party.

Donations can be made in Dwight's name to a charity of your choice. Some of his favorites include:

Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Foundation, The Rookery, 209 South LaSalle Street, Suite 118, Chicago, IL 60604
U.W. Foundation - School of Engineering, U.S. Bank Lockbox, P.O. Box 78807, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807
Wisconsin Dialysis, Fitchburg Clinic, 3034 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, WI 53713

Dwight's family would like to thank Dr. Robert Olson, Dr. David Murray, Dr. Lisa Cervantes, Dr. John Brandabur for their care over the years and Dr. Nathan Sandbo, Amy Chabowski and all the U.W. Trauma Center staff, especially Cathy, Lisa and Alex who attended to Dwight's and our family's needs in his final hours. Thank you for your compassion.