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Donald
"Jack" Wonka
Donald “Jack” Wonka, 81, of Grand Island, died peacefully
on Monday June 1, 2009 at St. Francis Medical Center surrounded by his
family.
Service will be 11 a.m. Monday, June 8, 2009 in Gollaher
Chapel of Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island. The Reverend Jay Vetter
will officiate. Military honors will be provided by the United
Veterans Honor Guard.
There will be no visitation. Cremation has taken
place. All Faiths Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Burial
of ashes will be at a later date in the Blue Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Wonka was born on April 1, 1928 to Frank and Anna
(Barry) Wonka at Rosemont, NE.
Survivors left to cherish his memory include wife, Barbara;
son, Don Wonka of Omaha; daughter and special friend, Diane Wonka
and Ernie Hulinsky of Grand Island; daughter and son-in-law, Jodi
and Gary Brockhoff of Lincoln; sisters, Florris Zimmerman of Scottsdale,
AZ and Florrine VanWinkle of Aurora, CO; and sister-in-law, Lucille
Wonka of Albuquerque, NM.
Other survivors are a grandson, Matthew Brockhoff of
Lincoln; his furry companion, Shadow; numerous nieces and nephews
and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Willard
Wonka and Frank Wonka, II; brother-in-law, Clyde Zimmerman and sister-in-law,
Jean Wonka.
Jack graduated from Blue Hill High
School in 1945. He served during
the Korean War where he was a teletype operator at the General
Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
He was united in marriage to Barbara Martin on July 15, 1951.
He worked as assistant manager with his father at Chicago
Lumber Company in Rosemont and Blue Hill until his father’s
death in 1974. At that time Jack became manager. Jack
and his father both won numerous ‘manager of the year’ awards. He
transferred to Grand Island in 1978 and retired in 1992, after
50 years with the same company.
Jack is known for his love of his family and his love
of animals. He was an avid golfer and bowler, receiving many
trophies. He was a 50 year member of the American Legion and
was a regular blood donor while living in Blue Hill.
Memorials are suggested to the Central Nebraska Humane
Society in Grand Island.
