John Rudolph Zavodsky

JOHN RUDOLPH ZAVODSKY
July 16, 1930 ˜ August 20, 2019

John Zavodsky, 89, was born in Perth Amboy, NJ, on July 16, 1930. He was one of five children and lived there until he graduated high school.
John joined several of his good friends, moving to Forest Grove, OR, where he attended Pacific University to play football and get his Bachelor’s degree in Education.
Before he started teaching, he was drafted into the Army and was stationed in France.
Upon his discharge, John found a teaching position in the Evergreen School District where he taught many different subjects but finally settled on high school math. He was both a track and cross-country coach for many years.
During John’s 33-year teaching career he became very active in the Evergreen Education Association and the Washington Education Association. He served as president of the EEA 3 different times. In 1973, he and two fellow teachers spent the summer in jail in the first teacher’s strike in the state.
John and his first wife Carolyn had 5 children, Dena, Tad, Guy, Dale, and Alana.
He and his brother built the house John lived in until 2016.
In March of 1967, John met Janice, who also had 5 children, Cheryl, John, Mike, Stephen, and Chris. They fell in love and decided it would be much easier on both families if the children attended the same schools the next year. With this decision, they took their ten children, Janice’s sister and brother-in-law and their four children to Estes Park, CO, so John and Janice could be married 4 months later in July. Whew! The combining of families was a roller coaster of activities, joys, sorrows and many successes!
John retired from teaching in June 1989, to work on lowering his golf handicap. He and Janice were members of Orchard Hills Golf Course in Washougal, WA, where both were active participants in the women’s and men’s leagues. His extra time was spent entertaining grandchildren and creating woodworking masterpieces for loved ones.
John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Janice; their children, in birth order, Cheryl (Scott) Baker, Dena (Jerry) Rossi, John (Whitman) Reardon, Tad Zavodsky, Mike (Lisa) Reardon, Steve (Britton) Reardon, Dale (Dottie) Zavodsky, Alana Williamson, Chris (Melissa) Reardon. They have 19 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings; and son, Guy.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Donations can be made in memory of John Zavodsky to Community Home Health and Hospice or Evergreen School District Foundation.
Please sign his guest book @ www.columbian.com/obits