Ronald "Z Daddy" Zawacki

Ronald “Z Daddy” Zawacki, 70, of Appleton, Wisconsin, passed away on July 22, 2021 following an unexpected, undiagnosed illness. He was born in Chicago on September 27, 1950 and was the son of the late Chester and Gertrude (Skornia) Zawacki.

Ron graduated from Menasha High School in 1968. After high school, he played in a number of bands and fixed up cars before settling on a career driving truck. Ron drove truck for N&M Transfer for over 30 years. He also owned two businesses (Ron’z Tree Service and Ron’z Trucking) with his son, Ron II.

In his spare time, Ron enjoyed spending time up north where he could be found checking his trees, riding a variety of recreational vehicles, hunting, and sharing his love of guns. Ron also enjoyed playing bass guitar for a variety of bands over the years.

Ron was always up for trying anything and he loved hanging out with friends and family. He was a master of the “Midwest goodbye”. A quick chat could easily turn into 1-2 hours of conversation.

Ron is survived by his daughter, Jenny (Bill) Honkanen; his son, Ron II (Debbie) Zawacki; his sister, Shirlee (Bob) Weber; his grandkids, Ronnie  Zawacki III, Toby Honkanen, Phillip Mueller, and Austin Nielsen; his nephew, Reed Wismer; and his niece, Emily (Charles) Pegg.

He was preceded in death by his parents and many aunts and uncles.

Ron’s family would like to give a special thanks to the 7th floor nursing staff at ThedaCare Appleton Medical Center, and especially the ThedaCare Hospice staff for supporting his family and keeping Ron comfortable during his final days.

In Ron’s memory, please support your local youth and adult music programs, and especially your local classic rock and blues bands.

A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, August 21, 2021, at Waverly Beach Bar & Grill, Menasha, Wisconsin.