Kenneth William Zeller

Pilot Mountain – Kenneth William Zeller passed away on September 18, 2025 at age 91 in his home in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. He was born on May 18, 1934 in Virgil, New York to William and Helen Jellema Zeller, the third of four children.
Most of his childhood was spent in Franklin Township, New Jersey. Ken served two years in the U.S. Army, stationed at the Army Air-Defense Command Post at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in the late 1950s. Afterwards, he completed his education at Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN. His sister Zelma introduced him to Mary Conard, a friend from Harlingen Church back home in New Jersey, which led to courtship and marriage. They made their home in Harlingen and in later years wintered at their home in Pilot Mountain, NC.
After college, Ken worked for a few years as a school teacher but eventually found the career he loved with the New Jersey State Highway Department, later the Department of Transportation. He started on what he called "the dumb end of the stick" on a survey crew and eventually worked as a civil engineer where he did design, inspections, and negotiations for property acquisitions among many other tasks.
Ken enjoyed motorcycles, which he often rode to friends' homes to stop and chat, often for hours at a time. He could fix almost anything and was eager to help anyone with something that needed repair. With Mary's help, he reclaimed and rebuilt a 19th century home in Harlingen, NJ, now the Zeller family homestead, and added rental buildings in Harlingen by rescuing materials from similar structures scheduled for demolition. He enjoyed skiing with sons Kenny and Kevin and later with beloved neighbors and friends. After retirement, he rediscovered golf and played twice a week for several years with a group of friends. From an early age he developed a love of antiques and over the course of his lifetime curated a plethora of stoneware crocks, household items, furniture, farm implements, and antique vehicles.
Living by example, he taught his sons, grandchildren, and anyone who would listen the value of self-reliance. He had an uncanny knack for figuring out creative solutions to difficult problems. As a lifelong learner, he encouraged people to "be curious." He was infinitely resourceful and frugal, encouraging us to "do the best you can with what you got." As he advanced in years, he kept himself busy and was quick to emphasize the necessity of having a purpose. In many ways, he was a man born out of time. He may have been better suited to a life in the 19th century, but we are grateful he was able to impress upon us those early ideals and skills in this modern era. God broke the mold when he made Ken.
Ken was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Mary Conard Zeller, parents William Zeller and Helen Jellema Zeller, sisters Zelma Platz and Florence Clark, brother Theodore Zeller, and grandson Nathaniel Zeller. He is survived by son Kenneth Von Zeller (Charity Watterson) of Winston-Salem, NC and grandson William Zeller of Mount Airy, NC, son Kevin William (Kristen) Zeller and grandchildren Zachary Zeller, Owen Zeller, and Anna Zeller of Winston-Salem, NC.
The family will gather at the Zeller home in Pilot Mountain later this fall to remember Ken and the life he and Mary built together. We will sit on chairs that he scavenged over the years from lonely curbs, serve potato salad out of stoneware bowls, crank up an antique engine, and let the children play with the heirloom toys that he wouldn't let them touch while he was alive.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to Habitat for Humanity or investing time to fix something that is special to you or someone you love.