Anthony Frank Zdanuk Sr

PORTSMOUTH, RI ? MMCM, Anthony Frank Zdanuk, Sr., USN, Ret. 85, of 70 Robin Road, Portsmouth, RI, formerly of Seymour, CT, died Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence, RI. He was the husband of Shirley L. Cotnoir Zdanuk.Born in Ansonia, CT, on October 31, 1920, he was the son of the late Alexander and Michaelina Minka Zdanuk.Tony grew up in Ansonia, CT and Seymour, CT where he attended St. Joseph?s School and Ansonia High School. He joined the Navy in 1943 and faithfully served for a total of 32 years. Rising to the rank of Master Chief, he was stationed on many ships and saw several engagments through his career. While aboard the USS Barry he was involved in the Cuban missle crisis, and was headed, by ship, to Moscow to oversee the first meeting of Eisenhower and Kruschev before that meeting was cancelled. He later was involved in the unique multinational crew of the USS Ricketts, where 7 different countries were represented in the crew. Known in the Navy as ?Ski?, he also participated in the US Marine landing in Lebanon, and was stationed at the destroyer school, now SWOS, in Newport on two occasions. At his retirement from the Navy, he was encouraged to keep working, and joined McLaughlin Research where he added 10 years to his career. Over the years Tony always enjoyed fishing and hunting. While still living in Seymour, CT, he ran the TJ Electic Company in Seymour, CT, and was a founding member of the Great Hill Hose Company, and was the last surviving member of the original group. In Portsmouth, he was a former Portsmouth Conservation Committee member and served as a co-chairman of the Portsmouth Beirut Marines Memorial Committee. He was also a member of the Portsmouth Knights of Columbus and the Portsmouth Tree Commission. Tony was also a faithful member of St. Barnabas Church and the Navy Chapel.He is survived by his wife of 58 years Shirley Zdanuk of Portsmouth, RI, two sons Anthony Zdanuk Jr. and his wife Janette of Ft. Worth, TX, and Stash Zdanuk and his wife Georgia of Berlin, CT, three daughters Darrell Tremblay and her husband Roger of Swansea, MA, Janice Ferreira and her husband Joseph of Little Compton, RI, and Kristin Wisner and her husband Richard of Bridgeton, NJ, and two sisters Mary Verzi and Anna Krenzel both of Shelton, CT, and eleven grandchildren: Gretchen Barron, Richard Zayatz, Danielle Tremblay, David Zayatz, Jonathan Tremblay, Peter Ferreira, Alan Zdanuk, Michaelina Zdanuk, Nicholas Zdanuk, Randi Zdanuk and Arianna Zdanuk, and four great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.His funeral will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2006, at 9:00am from the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, with a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00am in Chapel Of Hope, Naval Station, Newport. Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery in Portsmouth.Calling hours will be held on Friday, February 3, 2006, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm in the Connors Funeral Home.Memorial donations may be made to SHARE Foundation Inc, c/o UMD Center for Rehabilitation Engineering, 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747.