Gwen ZELLER

1933 - 2016

ZELLER, Gwen Gwen Zeller, a former U.S. Foreign Service and public health nurse, passed away on March 8, 2016 in Santa Rosa, CA. She was 82 years old. She was born on June 11, 1933 in New York City. Her parents were Theodore Roehner and Esther Lloyd Jones. She grew up in Mount Vernon, NY and graduated from Mt. Vernon high School. After high school she attended St. Lawrence University and finished her studies at Cornell University nursing school. She began her career in public health in New York, but then relocated to San Francisco with some of her former classmates. Soon after she decided to join the Foreign Service and went to her first post in Africa. This was the beginning of many adventures overseas. She was stationed in Rio de Janeiro and eventually Bangkok, Thailand. In Thailand she met and married Jack Zeller, a U.S. Foreign Service officer. Shortly after marriage they were assigned to Washington, D.C. for four years, Germany for four years, and lastly Iran for 18 months. In 1977, Gwen and her family moved to Santa Rosa, CA after her husband retired from the State Department. Here she served as a public school nurse for eight years in Sonoma County. She worked mostly with emotionally disturbed and developmentally delayed children. Gwen loved to paint and play the piano. Art and music were very important to her. Her other passion was to volunteer in the community, especially helping the underserved. She was involved with the SAY Dream Center, VA Connect, and Community Outreach, amongst many others. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Zeller. She is survived by her brother, Paul Roehner, (Utah); her children, Jacqueline Zeller Avila (Redwood City, CA), Cynthia Zeller (Tiverton, RI), Saundra Zeller Guidry (Santa Rosa), Jeff Zeller, Warren, RI, and Scott Zeller (Occidental, CA). A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2016 at the Spring Lake Village Chapel, 5555 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa. Donations may be made to the SAY Dream Center, 2447 Summerfield Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95405.