Benjamin Louis Zelenko

On Sunday, November 16, 2025, Benjamin Louis Zelenko of Chevy Chase, Maryland passed away. Beloved Husband of Barbara Saltz Zelenko devoted father of Brian Zelenko, Laura Zelenko and Carin Zelenko, loving brother of Norman Zelenko, cherished grandfather of Leslie Zelenko, Jennifer Zelenko, Sasha Urban, Katya Urban, Lia Pollock and Kayla Pollock, and great-grandfather to Chloe Zelenko Rosenfeld. Also survived by daughter-in-law Jacqueline Trell Zelenko and son-in-law Justin Pollock. Zelenko dedicated his life to championing human rights, workers' rights and intellectual property rights. His seven decades practicing law took him from serving as the general counsel of the House Judiciary Committee in the 1960s to arguing the historic case before the US Supreme Court for Japanese American reparations. He later focused his advocacy on the NFL Players Association, authors and musicians in private practice. He was known for his kindness and love for his family, whom he always kept entertained with his colorful storytelling, jokes and amusing magic tricks. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 2 p.m., at Garden of Remembrance, Gan Zikaron Memorial Park in Clarksburg, MD. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.