Alexander Zelner (1961 – 2024)
Life Story

Alexander Zelner, age 62, of Merritt Island, Florida, died at home of cardiac arrest on January 3, 2023. He was born in the city of Lvov, Ukraine on January 20, 1961 to Victor Zelner and Lilia Koganov. The family moved to Moscow, USSR where his father entered a post-doctoral fellowship in Veterinary science. His mother, an economist and manager of a large retail store, was nicknamed “Hamster’s mother” because of her son’s resemblance to his favorite childhood pet. Growing up in a high-rise, two- bedroom apartment in Podolsk, a suburb of Moscow, Alexander had many pets: a white-eyed owl, a black crow, several wild squirrels and white mice, orphaned rabbits, aquarium fish and an extraordinary collection of insects. He learned from his father, at the age of 7, the game of chess that grew to become his life’s passion. In 1979, his family, including his older brother, Mikhail Zelner, and paternal grandparents, Roza and Gregory (also called Ruvin) Zelner, left the USSR among 51,000 Soviet Jews seeking refugee status in the United States. They settled first in Baltimore, MD where Alex and his brother found their first job loading boxes of blue jeans in a Merry-Go-Round warehouse. After studying English intensely for six months, Alex started training in cardiac technology at Sinai Hospital and later as a technician conducting pulmonary and circulatory experiments supervised by Dr Harold Menkes at Johns Hopkins Hospitals. The family moved to Columbus, Ohio where Alex’s father had found employment as a translator at Chemical Abstracts. Alex enrolled in the Ohio State University and supported himself working 60 hours a week as a respiratory and esophageal function technician. He also was hired as a research associate by Dr Robert Hamlin in the Department Veterinary Sciences, at OSU, where he received his M.S. from the Veterinary Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. He taught physiology at Columbus State Community College and was hired by Riverside Hospital, the largest private hospital in Columbus, to start an esophageal diagnostic laboratory and to study ambulatory pH monitoring in pregnancy. There he met his future wife, Catherine Rowley, M.D. who was starting her chief resident year in obstetrics and gynecology when the couple married on December 24, 1988.
Alex and Catherine became proud parents on December 19, 1989, the day their first twins, David Alexander and Gregory Michael were born. In 1990, Alex started medical school at The Ohio State University, finishing anatomy at record speed as he prepared his family to move to Texas. Catherine was a captain in the US Air Force and was starting active duty at Dyess AFB as a doctor in labor and delivery. During her military duty, their third son, Joshua Simon, was born. After Desert Storm, they returned to Ohio and resided in Springfield. Alex continued his independent medical studies another two years. However, since his wife’s medical practice demanded much time away from home, Alex became the main caretaker for his family. He eventually withdrew from medical school to manage the household and children. This also gave him time to pursue his love for chess and to train his sons in chess. He sponsored and organized chess events including the Mad River Open in Springfield. He travelled with his children playing and studying chess with masters and grandmasters. By the time Alex and his family moved from Ohio, nine years had passed and he had achieved the title of National Master from the United States Chess Federation.
In addition to Alex’s chess interests, he acquired a builder contractor license and spent six years remodeling his home, a 14,000 square feet residence on Meadow Lane, Springfield, Ohio. He had replaced medical school with his interest in building and frequently explained to his friends that this venture was his “new” University. The house that Alex built was completed merely weeks before the moving van was scheduled. The couple had decided to move to Florida. As he packed for the move, he loaded two semi-trucks of windows, (he had already donated more than half of his warehouse of building supplies to Habitat for Humanity), three 26 ft U-Haul trucks with construction materials and household furnishings, and behind one of the trucks, he pulled a trailer hauling his favorite acquisition from Ohio, a Bobcat.
In the summer of 1999, the family settled in Celebration, Florida, the land of Mickey Mouse and Disney. Catherine had a great job practicing obstetrics and gynecology and the children started 3rd and 4th grade at Celebration School. They were accompanied by Alex’s life-long friend, GM Alexander Goldin, who resided with them. Alex dived into his chess pursuits. He started Florida Youth Academy for talented young chess players and brought together masters and grandmasters to teach. His three sons were Ohio state scholastic champions, all three sharing first place in 1998, and they were the focal point of his new endeavors. In the winter of 2000, he opened Orlando Chess & Games, a full-time chess club, retail store and chess academy. He ran weekly USCF-rated tournaments. He hired and trained chess teachers and provided instruction to the community at his location and at public and private schools in central Florida. Alex trained and competed himself with great passion for the sport. His chess enthusiasm was contagious to all with whom he came in contact. By the year 2012, Alexander had obtained the title of FIDE Master, from the World Chess Federation, an honor he greatly respected. Alex moved the site of his chess club to several different locations in Orlando. Alex also continued his house building projects and, in fact, moved his household twelve times in a period of twenty-three years. He was a “master in moving” and executed these moves with speed and efficiency, with unbelievable military style. Dust never settled under Alexander’s feet!
Alex and Catherine also surprised their family by adding another set of twins, two girls, to the Zelner mix. On June 11, 2004, Zoe Nicole and Roza Rochelle were born in Winter Park, Florida. Alex now had two more to train in chess! In addition, Catherine, continued her practice of medicine and co-teamed with Alex on all of her aspirations. Together, they cared for many people, helping them achieve better health and vitality, and helping any friend in need. They maintained their partnership in life and in business and, most importantly to them, they raised their children together.
Alex Zelner will be remembered as a man with a big heart for his family, friends and business associates. He treated all men and women as equal. He believed in the goodness of all and never judged someone’s past mistakes. He believed faithfully that God was always there to provide everything he needed. He lived by his beliefs and honored all of his commitments. He had much humor and levity regarding his life on this earth and did not fear death. He provided those who loved him a source of strength and courage to live LIFE the way you want, without excuses, but with forgiveness towards oneself.
He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and the chess community. He is survived by his life partner, Catherine Zelner and children: Gregory, David, Joshua, Roza and Zoe, his grandsons, Levi Zelner and Leif Zelner, and his brother, Mikhail Zelner, who resides in Miami Beach, Fl.