John Joseph Zara, 84, of Brady, Texas, formerly of Century, WV, passed away peacefully at the home of his daughter on May 1, 2025.
John was born in Buckhannon on December 3, 1940 to the late Albert B. Zara and Anna M. (Cvechko) Zara.
As a young man, John was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and an altar boy at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Century, WV. He enjoyed hunting with his brothers.
John attended Philippi High School where he played baseball and football. Upon graduating in 1959, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked for Braniff International for 23 years, until they closed. After that, he worked for and retired from FedEx.
In retirement, he spent much of his time fishing. He also loved sports and photography.
John is survived by his brother, Victor Zara of Buckhannon, WV; daughters Michelle Zara of Brady, Texas; and Vicki (Zara) Lee and husband Ron of Wichita, KS; grandchildren Joshua Zara and wife Jamie of Granby, Missouri; Nicholas Lewis of Brady, Texas; Jordan (Lee) Lumley and husband Chase; Ashton Lee and wife Jennifer; and Trevor Lee, all of Wichita, KS; and great-grandchildren Christian Zara; Hunter Zara; Natalie Zara; and Kenedi Lumley.
He is also survived by nephew Joseph Zara and wife Nadine of Brisbane, Australia; Gina Zara of Altamonte Springs, FL; Krista (Zara) Lewellyn and husband David of Buckhannon, WV; Erin (Zara) Tampoya and husband Don of Cornelius, NC; and several other nieces and nephews.
Along with his parents, John was preceded in death by his sister Mary Louise “Chi-Chi” (Zara) Bahr, and brother Albert (Gene) Zara and his wife Patricia (Smallridge) Zara.
John was Catholic by faith and his wishes were honored with cremation.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated on May 30, 2025 at 11:00 AM with Rosary at 10:30 AM at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Buckhannon, WV, with Fr. Edward Tetteh officiating. A graveside service will immediately follow at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Philippi, WV.
