Vivian Glenaire Zajac

Vivian G. Zajac, 85, passed away in her sleep about 9 pm on July 14, 2015. Earlier in evening she a had pleasant dinner and conversation with her sister, Marilyn, who visiting from Salina, Kansas. She was born in Glen Elder, Kansas to her parents, Harry and Anna McCausland. She was the fifth of eight children.

One of Vivian's greatest qualities was her sense of and commitment to her family - beginning when she was a child and continuing through to her own family as a mother and grandmother. Because of the death of her father at an early age and the resulting economic hardship, when Vivian was 12 years old, she and her younger siblings were placed with family friends in the surrounding communities near Beloit, Kansas. This was a time in Vivian's life and the lives of her siblings where they spent years apart. It is these difficult circumstances that were the foundation of Vivian's sense of family.

As Vivian and her brothers and sisters grew older, this sense of family became apparent as she offered care and emotional support during their time of need, sometimes assisting them for prolonged periods of time. But, her own family was never more than a phone call away. This is what made our mother, our mom, special.

When Vivian was 17 years old, she returned to Salina, Kansas for her senior year of high school. That year, while attending high school, she worked full time as a telephone operator. When the telephone company employees went on strike in 1947, she quickly found other work as a part-time waitress in a local Salina diner. It was here, at that little diner, where she met Stan, her future husband.

Dad, having returned from World War II several years before, and still in the Air Force, stopped by the diner with a few of his buddies for a hamburger and a Coke on the way back to the air base. Mom, having eyed this group of young men in their uniforms, convinced another waitress to let her serve these young airmen. We don't know if it was love at first bite, but it was here that dad invited Mom on their first date.

Shortly after she turned eighteen, Dad was reassigned to Castle Air Force Base. Mom, now having finished high school, decided he was the guy for her and accompanied him to Merced. On April 10, 1948, in a small ceremony attended by their close friends, they were married. They were married 64 years when Stan passed away in October 2012.

In the later years of their marriage, Dad would often tease Mom about how long they had been married. At their 60th wedding anniversary party, standing with a group friends, a young guest asked Mom how long they had been married. Before she could answer, Dad blurted out in a loud and proud voice "61 years!" Mom rolled her eyes and corrected him… "Stanley, we've only been married for 60 years!" Dad, with a smile, quickly replied… "Oh, well it feels like 61 years!" Mom would always fain a look of disgust. She had heard that line many times. But, it still made her smile.Vivian was always a go-getter. The family joke was that the morning after they arrived in Merced, Dad left early to check-in at Castle for his new assignment. By the time he returned later in the day, Mom had found an apartment, gotten a job with the telephone company, moved their belongings into the apartment and had dinner waiting for him. That was our mother. That is a true story!

Mom was a good mother. Even though she worked fulltime she always provided love and support for her two boys. She even found time to be a den mother when Dave was in Cub Scouts. She was the first one up in the morning and the last one to bed at night, day in- day-out; week-in, week-out; month in, month out and year-in, year-out. She was tireless, always making sure the boys' shirts were ironed before school or up late baking a homemade cake or cookies the night before a school bake sale. Sometimes her boys would plead "can't we just have store bought cookies just like our friends!" The answer was always the same – No!

So, if not for that telephone strike, Mom's temporary waitressing job, the chance meeting of Dad and moving half way across the country, her family… our family, would not be. Thanks mom!

Vivian was a devoted grandmother. Her grandchildren were the love of her life and she was most happy when she was attending their school events, celebrating birthdays and holidays with them and just "hanging out" as the grandma. She was extremely proud of each of them. She supported her family members in their goals and aspirations - no matter what the cost in time and effort. She will be remembered by her family as a loving, determined woman who saw challenges and was not afraid to face them successfully.

Vivian also enjoyed a satisfying career. Over her 40 years with the telephone company she advanced from a telephone operator in Salina, Kansas to become a business office manager for Pac Bell in Merced. Not bad for a girl with just a high school education. Vivian retired in 1987.

After "retiring" from Pac Bell, Vivian was not ready to retire. Shortly thereafter, she and Stan purchased a small fledgling business in the Merced Mall. It was called Postage Plus; it's gone now. Back then, it was one of the first businesses to make photo copies, mail packages through USPS, UPS and FedEx. You could also pay your telephone and utility bills. Through their hard work they made Postage Plus a success. For Mom, it was about her desire to keep busy and be active.

Besides work, Vivian was very active in the Merced community for many years. In addition to her career with the telephone company, she has been the President of the Our Lady of Mercy School Mothers Club, and the local Soroptimist Club. After retiring from Pac Bell she also served as President and a member of the Board of Directors for the Telephone Pioneers, a community service organization. She later served on the Board of Directors and as Secretary of the homeowners association where she and Stan owned a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe. She was also active in the local AARP chapter, serving on the Board and as the Travel Director for several years. She was one of those people who was always the first to volunteer and to help make a project a success.

Did we mention she was a good cook? As she often said, her secret was… "First, starve them to near death, and then anything will taste good!" She truly was a good cook.

We love you Mom, Grandma and Viv! Rest in peace.

Vivian is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Maxine, Virginia and Lucille and her brothers Robert (Bob) and William (Bill). She is survived by her sons, David and Mark (Patty) and her 5 grandchildren, Christopher, Andrew, Eric, Matthew and Sarah. She is also survived by her sister Marilyn and brother Gary as well as many nieces and nephews.

A service will be held for Vivian on Friday, July 24th at 10:00 am at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on 21st Street in Merced. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Wounded Warriors Project. They can be contacted at www.woundedwarriorsproject.org or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, (855) 448-3997.