John Zidiack or "Uncle John" to me was not biologically related whatsoever but a lifelong hunting and fishing companion of my father, Eugene Williams (1932-2002).
Where or how they ever met I did not know and I never thought to ask but Uncle John represented to me the only true father figure I ever had as a child.
I cannot recall a time when he was not part of my childhood as he and my father would hunt and fish together and I was often included on summer fishing excursions to Lake Rice, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and what my Uncle referred to as the Dumoine River in Quebec!
My hunting and fishing skills undoubtedly did not meet his standards but I enjoyed the adventures as venturing into Canada each time was as-like traveling into totally foreign territory especially for a naïve, young boy from Niagara Falls!
Uncle John was the colorful, comical, stereotypical bachelor that the men envied and the women usually found irritating but he lived life to its fullest and did not seem to notice that his lifestyle did not often meet approval: definitely a free spirit.
I discovered that my Uncle John was a First Lieutenant Motor Officer with the 83rd Armored Medical Battalion Company B which is something he never discussed and always told me that he never finished high school dropping-out as he preferred being outdoors hunting, fishing and trapping. Clearly, he had some formal education otherwise he would have never been commission an officer. I do know that he was field commissioned to Captain during WWII but I no longer have copies of those documents.
When he returned home from the war and was not eligible for Korean War service, I believe he traveled to Niagara Falls to find work on the Niagara Falls Power Project which was in full swing at that time and, eventually, became an employee for the Niagara Falls Parks Department which he retired from after 15-years of service.
Uncle John suffered a heart attack in January of 1989 and was placed in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital and appeared to be recuperating and had gained back his rather cryptic sense-of-humor. His sister (Olga Leopold) arranged transportation for him to be flown to Las Vegas in order for her to take care of him and manage his affairs.
In July of 1989 I received a telephone call from Uncle John's sister (Olga Leopold) informing me that he had passed away. There is not a day that I do not think of him and the adventures we shared. Uncle John taught me to respect nature and all that it had to offer as he was a true sportsman and conservationist long before it became trendy!
Where or how they ever met I did not know and I never thought to ask but Uncle John represented to me the only true father figure I ever had as a child.
I cannot recall a time when he was not part of my childhood as he and my father would hunt and fish together and I was often included on summer fishing excursions to Lake Rice, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and what my Uncle referred to as the Dumoine River in Quebec!
My hunting and fishing skills undoubtedly did not meet his standards but I enjoyed the adventures as venturing into Canada each time was as-like traveling into totally foreign territory especially for a naïve, young boy from Niagara Falls!
Uncle John was the colorful, comical, stereotypical bachelor that the men envied and the women usually found irritating but he lived life to its fullest and did not seem to notice that his lifestyle did not often meet approval: definitely a free spirit.
I discovered that my Uncle John was a First Lieutenant Motor Officer with the 83rd Armored Medical Battalion Company B which is something he never discussed and always told me that he never finished high school dropping-out as he preferred being outdoors hunting, fishing and trapping. Clearly, he had some formal education otherwise he would have never been commission an officer. I do know that he was field commissioned to Captain during WWII but I no longer have copies of those documents.
When he returned home from the war and was not eligible for Korean War service, I believe he traveled to Niagara Falls to find work on the Niagara Falls Power Project which was in full swing at that time and, eventually, became an employee for the Niagara Falls Parks Department which he retired from after 15-years of service.
Uncle John suffered a heart attack in January of 1989 and was placed in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital and appeared to be recuperating and had gained back his rather cryptic sense-of-humor. His sister (Olga Leopold) arranged transportation for him to be flown to Las Vegas in order for her to take care of him and manage his affairs.
In July of 1989 I received a telephone call from Uncle John's sister (Olga Leopold) informing me that he had passed away. There is not a day that I do not think of him and the adventures we shared. Uncle John taught me to respect nature and all that it had to offer as he was a true sportsman and conservationist long before it became trendy!
John Zidiack or "Uncle John" to me was not biologically related whatsoever but a lifelong hunting and fishing companion of my father, Eugene Williams (1932-2002).
Where or how they ever met I did not know and I never thought to ask but Uncle John represented to me the only true father figure I ever had as a child.
I cannot recall a time when he was not part of my childhood as he and my father would hunt and fish together and I was often included on summer fishing excursions to Lake Rice, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and what my Uncle referred to as the Dumoine River in Quebec!
My hunting and fishing skills undoubtedly did not meet his standards but I enjoyed the adventures as venturing into Canada each time was as-like traveling into totally foreign territory especially for a naïve, young boy from Niagara Falls!
Uncle John was the colorful, comical, stereotypical bachelor that the men envied and the women usually found irritating but he lived life to its fullest and did not seem to notice that his lifestyle did not often meet approval: definitely a free spirit.
I discovered that my Uncle John was a First Lieutenant Motor Officer with the 83rd Armored Medical Battalion Company B which is something he never discussed and always told me that he never finished high school dropping-out as he preferred being outdoors hunting, fishing and trapping. Clearly, he had some formal education otherwise he would have never been commission an officer. I do know that he was field commissioned to Captain during WWII but I no longer have copies of those documents.
When he returned home from the war and was not eligible for Korean War service, I believe he traveled to Niagara Falls to find work on the Niagara Falls Power Project which was in full swing at that time and, eventually, became an employee for the Niagara Falls Parks Department which he retired from after 15-years of service.
Uncle John suffered a heart attack in January of 1989 and was placed in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital and appeared to be recuperating and had gained back his rather cryptic sense-of-humor. His sister (Olga Leopold) arranged transportation for him to be flown to Las Vegas in order for her to take care of him and manage his affairs.
In July of 1989 I received a telephone call from Uncle John's sister (Olga Leopold) informing me that he had passed away. There is not a day that I do not think of him and the adventures we shared. Uncle John taught me to respect nature and all that it had to offer as he was a true sportsman and conservationist long before it became trendy!
Where or how they ever met I did not know and I never thought to ask but Uncle John represented to me the only true father figure I ever had as a child.
I cannot recall a time when he was not part of my childhood as he and my father would hunt and fish together and I was often included on summer fishing excursions to Lake Rice, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and what my Uncle referred to as the Dumoine River in Quebec!
My hunting and fishing skills undoubtedly did not meet his standards but I enjoyed the adventures as venturing into Canada each time was as-like traveling into totally foreign territory especially for a naïve, young boy from Niagara Falls!
Uncle John was the colorful, comical, stereotypical bachelor that the men envied and the women usually found irritating but he lived life to its fullest and did not seem to notice that his lifestyle did not often meet approval: definitely a free spirit.
I discovered that my Uncle John was a First Lieutenant Motor Officer with the 83rd Armored Medical Battalion Company B which is something he never discussed and always told me that he never finished high school dropping-out as he preferred being outdoors hunting, fishing and trapping. Clearly, he had some formal education otherwise he would have never been commission an officer. I do know that he was field commissioned to Captain during WWII but I no longer have copies of those documents.
When he returned home from the war and was not eligible for Korean War service, I believe he traveled to Niagara Falls to find work on the Niagara Falls Power Project which was in full swing at that time and, eventually, became an employee for the Niagara Falls Parks Department which he retired from after 15-years of service.
Uncle John suffered a heart attack in January of 1989 and was placed in Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital and appeared to be recuperating and had gained back his rather cryptic sense-of-humor. His sister (Olga Leopold) arranged transportation for him to be flown to Las Vegas in order for her to take care of him and manage his affairs.
In July of 1989 I received a telephone call from Uncle John's sister (Olga Leopold) informing me that he had passed away. There is not a day that I do not think of him and the adventures we shared. Uncle John taught me to respect nature and all that it had to offer as he was a true sportsman and conservationist long before it became trendy!
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