Tonnie Wood Zemanek

Tonnie Wood Zemanek, 70, of Sanford, Michigan, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026, in Midland, Michigan, with her daughter and son-in-law by her side.

Born on March 14, 1955, in Saginaw, Michigan, Tonnie was the daughter of Frank and Arlene (George) Wood, both of whom preceded her in death. She attended Arthur Hill High School before graduating from Meridian High School in 1973. Tonnie later studied art at Delta College (where a porcelain sculpture of her torso still resides in the permanent art collection) before earning a degree in business from Central Michigan University.

In the late 1970s, Tonnie moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she worked as a Human Resources Director for Mazzio’s Restaurants. During her time there, she helped develop and manage the company’s call center for takeout orders, an innovative concept long before online ordering existed.

Tonnie returned to Sanford in 1999, where she remained for the rest of her life. Ten years later, she reunited with Ralph Zemanek, and the two spent the next sixteen years sharing life’s everyday moments and plenty of laughter.

Those who knew Tonnie know she was anything but ordinary. She was funny, joyful, determined, and wonderfully stubborn. Her humor was dry, often inappropriate, and always perfectly timed. Tonnie had a rare gift for making people feel special. She never met a stranger and had a way of turning brief encounters into genuine connections, usually leaving people with a compliment and a story to tell.

Tonnie had a deep appreciation for art and the human experience. She had a bold sense of style and an eye for design, and she enjoyed creativity in all its forms. Later in life, her love of art often manifested in enthusiastic viewings of NCIS and Law & Order reruns. She loved Elvis, Taco Bell, penguins, and her pug, Bill. She treated restaurants not simply as places to eat, but as opportunities to enjoy good food, a good drink, and meet a new friend.

She believed strongly in using “the good things” in life. The good dishes, the good perfume, the good jewelry, and the good food were never meant to sit untouched, waiting for a special occasion. To Tonnie, the occasion was always today.

Tonnie was adventurous and spirited in ways both big and small, from climbing Mount Fuji in her twenties to attending the Warped Tour alongside her seventh-grade daughter in her fifties. She was not particularly fond of being told what to do, whether by laws, hotel smoking policies in Paris, or even the occasional highway median crossover sign.

She was also known for her determined spirit. Once Tonnie set her mind to something, she found a way to make it happen. Whether it was creatively interpreting medical advice about “flat shoes” into a perfectly reasonable prescription for Ugg boots, or navigating life entirely on her own terms, Tonnie had a way of bending reality slightly in her favor.

Despite all of her adventures, Tonnie often said her greatest achievement in life was her daughter, Tate.

Tonnie is survived by her husband, Ralph Zemanek; her daughter, Olivia Tate Rugenstein (Adam) of Midland; and her beloved granddaughter, Pierson, aged three, who brought Tonnie immense joy. She is also survived by her brother, Rod Wood (Bernadette) of Sanford; her nephews, William Wood (Amy) of Sanford and Jacob Wood (Sarah) of Highland Township; her loyal pug, Bill; and her dearest friends, Tanya, Rolleen, and Barb. She is also remembered by a great-nephew, a great-niece, extended family, and more friends than could ever be counted.

Tonnie believed that kindness, humor, and a well-timed bout of feigned ignorance could get you almost anywhere, sometimes even out of trouble.

A celebration of Tonnie’s life will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at Creative 360 in Midland, Michigan.

Those who knew Tonnie are encouraged to celebrate her the way she lived: by using the good things, sharing a laugh, complimenting a stranger, and making an ordinary day feel a little more special.