John T. Zubal

Just saw this about John. His father and mine were best friends for many years. I met John and his family about 20 years ago and they treated me like we were old friends. He showed me where my father grew up and fixed me a meal with lots of wine, I´ve never forgotten. He also gave me a book on my Ukrainian (Lemko) roots that I would have never known. I´m so sorry for your family and having lost my husband a couple years ago, I understand the grief. Hugs to all. Gayle Reece Tyler, Texas

Some time in the 1970s I visited Zubal's on w. 25th. I was a Classics major in college at the time, and my mission was to find Greek and Latin texts, which of course I found. But there were other still much rarer books in the front office of the warehouse-store, and it was there that I had a short but memorable conversation with this master book-seller. His love of books reminded me of my grandfather, a bookstore denizen of a still earlier age. I was very sad to learn of Mr. Zubal's passing.

I came through town last week, visited the store, and found out that we'd lost John Zubal several months ago. I read cleveland.com daily and cannot understand why this obit did not receive star billing on the front page as would happen in the case of a prominent passing in the NY Times. That aside, John and his bookstore have been an important part of my reading life since the early 1980s. Every purchase entailed a discussion beforehand, and the sheer volume of volumes in this...

I just learned of John T. Zubal´s passing. We were colleagues in the repurposed Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College in 1966. The campus site had been a military hospital from 1944-`64. John and I had our faculty offices across from one another and often shared political differences, but with wit and good natured debate. Much later I frequently visited Zubal Books and shared memories of former colleagues. His memory, like a vast file cabinet, was a rare resource and treasured...

Mr.Zubal was a significant influence on my education journey,he was one of my first professors and I wasn´t sure I was college ready.His no nonsense yet professional approach was instrumental in my career.I did visit him at his West 25th bookstore as I later completed work on my doctorate and was teaching at Tri C.He had not changed and was still professional and objective.