Peter Jay Zieg

Peter Jay Zieg

May 30, 1943 – Jan 24, 2026

Pete was born in Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ohio on May 30, 1943. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years Judy (Seyerle) Zieg, his granddaughter Marian Zieg, and his parents Merle and Lucylle (Ballenger) Zieg of Marion, Ohio.

A few early influences deserve note. Pete's father Merle was a firefighter, rising to the rank of station Captain and operating a successful extinguisher business on the side. When Pete was 15, his family sponsored a foreign-exchange student from Denmark, contributing to a life-long love of Europe. Finally, a young Pete attended a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. while at a Lutheran youth conference.

Pete met Judy in 1962 at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio; their first date was memorable, falling on the weekend of JFK's assassination. They married in 1966 and were the parents of Mark Zieg (Laura) of Cary, North Carolina, and Scott Zieg (Elizabeth) of Nehalem, Oregon. They were the grandparents of Jonathan, Chris, and Marian (deceased). Pete and Judy were married in June 1966 at St. John's Lutheran Church of Stovertown, Ohio.

As part of his instruction at Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary, Pete served his first ministerial appointment as intern at Christ Lutheran Church of North Miami, Florida in 1967. Upon receiving his Bachelor's of Divinity in 1969, Pete was ordained by Rev. Martin Hollensen in his home church at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Marion, Ohio.

Cap and collar in hand, Pete's first pastoral "Call" took him to First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Gray Manor in Dundalk, a suburb of Baltimore built to support Bethlehem Steel and its many rail and shipyards. Mark and Scott were both born in Baltimore, while Judy completed her Masters at Johns Hopkins and practiced tax accounting.

1975 brought a new "Call" to Trinity Lutheran Church in Kissimmee, Florida, just 4 years after a new theme park opened at the other end of US-192. Vitalized by the unique challenge of Osceola's endless expansion, Pete would ultimately stay on and serve as the senior pastor at Trinity for 30 years, representing the cornerstone of his life's work.

While at Trinity, Pete worked alongside a number of assistant pastors, including Luther Swanson, Barry Burns, Paul Kuhlman, Paul Conradt-Eberlin, and Jefferson Cox. He would also mentor a series of interns, including Richard Koepke (Gray Manor), Rob Cosmas, Chris Conklin and Stan Wickett. He also confirmed and ordained David Charlton, Trinity's first ministerial "son of the church."

Some of the "capital plans" Pete helped spearhead at Trinity included construction of the current sanctuary, establishment of Trinity Lutheran School, construction of the Schroeder Education Center, and construction of the Zieg Family Life Center and later kitchen expansion.

Pete's service outreach was not limited to the pulpit. Pete was active in a number of civil and community groups, including Rotary International, the Osceola Council on Aging, the Kissimmee Ministerial Association, the Capital University Boards of Regents and Trustees, Christian Service Center Board of Directors, advisory boards for Osceola Regional Medical Center and Good Samaritan Village, boards of the YMCA and Give Kids the World.

Pete was especially proud of his role as chaplain to the Kissimmee Fire Department, in honor of his own father's legacy. Pete was a reliable hand in Osceola's disaster response to hurricane, flooding and tornado victims, repeatedly opening his own house to those impacted. Given all the above, it is unsurprising that the City of Kissimmee proclaimed Feb 8-14, 2004 "Peter Zieg Week."

Although he formally stepped down from Trinity in 2004, he did not "idle well." He ended up volunteering for a number of temporary and interim ministerial spots around Central Florida, and was particularly involved in St John Lutheran Church of Winter Park. Pete and Judy loved to travel and visited at least 25 different countries on tours, cruises and driving vacations, spending many summers toasting "cultural outreach" across Europe, Scandinavia and the Caribbean.

Throughout all these adventures, Pete was supported and buoyed by his soulmate and partner in life, Judy. Just as Pete served Osceola from pulpit and boardroom, Judy worked through county schools, serving as Principal at both Neptune Middle and Trinity schools, and Asst. Principal at Osceola High School, earning her own array of awards and national accolades.

The Zieg family is being cared for by CONRAD AND THOMPSON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES, 511 Emmett Street, Kissimmee, Florida 34741; 407-847-3188.

Visitation will be at the Conrad and Thompson Funeral Home, 511 Emmett St., Kissimmee, and will be announced at a later date. A Celebration of Life will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3016 West Vine St., Kissimmee. It will also be announced at a later date. Memorial remembrances may be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church and School, Kissimmee, or a charity of your choice.