Stanley Anthony Zemelka (101) passed away peacefully in his sleep (stroke) at home February 20th\. Born in Gleiwitz, Germany, Stanley was the youngest son of five children of the late John and Elizabeth (Peters) Zemelka. Stanley was a loving husband to Magdalena (Kostrzewa) for 70-years.
In 1950 Stanley completed a doctorate in economics from University of Innsbruck. In 1951, the couple became eligible to immigrate to the United States after a bond was obtained from the Catholic Welfare Conference guaranteeing that the couple would not become a public charge. The Catholic Chaplain at the University of Illinois, Urbana, was the couple’s sponsor. At the University in Urbana, Stanley pursued post graduate studies in economics and worked as a graduate assistant. In 1953, the couple moved to Cleveland, OH, where friends had suggested Stanley would find a higher paying job to support his growing family. Stanley accepted a position as a payroll auditor at General Motors Fischer Body Plant. Stanley also taught part-time in night school at Borromeo College where he decided that he preferred to be in college teaching full time.
In 1958, Stanley accepted a fulltime teaching position at Bellarmine College, Louisville, KY. With the encouragement of Magdalena, the young family–now with two children—moved to Louisville.
Stanley taught at Bellarmine for over 25-years and became Business Department Chair and later Director in the new Master’s in Business Administration degree program.
In 1989 Stanley and Magdalena retired to Florida. Stanley was a caregiver for 15 of those years.
Stanley is survived by his children, Peter Zemelka and Barbara Venuto; grandchildren Charles Stanley Venuto (Jennifer) and Joseph Venuto (Rachel); and great-grand child Charles Andrew Venuto.