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Obituary
John Zawacki, 74, of Brownstown Township, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, February 2, 2026.
Born on April 7, 1951 in Monroe, John was the son of Leo and Rosemary (Leibold) Zawacki. He grew up on the family farm in Maybee, attending St. Joseph Catholic School with his younger brother Mark and their lifelong friend Harry “Bud” Mazur, Jr. He graduated from Milan High School in 1968 and attended the University of Michigan, intending to focus on meteorology. He married Cynthia “Cindy” Swick in 1976, and they welcomed two children in their years together. Ultimately, his career centered on logistics at Guardian Industries in Carleton; he retired in 2019 after more than 40 years.
John loved a good joke; critiquing all the Detroit sports teams; scouring southeast Michigan and Toledo for the cheapest gasoline prices; and weekly card-playing sessions with the “Elder Statesmen” at Madonna Hall. He cherished his adventures and weekly dinners with his special companion, Sharon Justice.
John is survived by: daughter Jill (Thomas Hayes) and son Kyle (Emily Kobernik); brother Mark and sister-in-law Julie; niece, Alissa; nephews, Dustin and Drew (Kaitlin); and numerous cousins. He also recently gained his most important role of “Grampa John” to Max and Ruby, who were his joy and the apples of his eye.
A Memorial Mass will be conducted at Divine Grace Parish / St. Patrick’s in Carleton on Friday, February 13 at 11:00 AM with luncheon to follow.
Memorial contributions in John’s honor may be made to the ACLU of Michigan (aclumich.org/donate) or the USO (give.uso.org)
