Obituary of Jane Zielonka

Suddenly, but peacefully and surrounded by family, Jane passed away at Hamilton General Hospital on August 1, 2026. She is survived by her husband Eugene, her son Jeremy, niece Jane and her husband Nicholas, great-nephew Elliott, great-nieces Allie and Abigail and half-sister Mary. She is predeceased by parents Carl and Margaret Schmidt, brother John, niece Nancy and half-sister Willow.

Jane grew up in Kitchener and spent many happy summers in Grimsby as a girl. She graduated from Eastwood Collegiate in 1959 and went to the Greater Niagara General Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1962. She began her career locally before she embarked on a whirlwind of tours in Algeria and Afghanistan before joining the Project Hope hospital ship sailing to Tunisia. These years provided her with stories and treasures galore, with side trips to all the surrounding countries she could fit in. She returned home to marry Gene on September 24, 1970. She spent the remainder of her career in obstetric nursing at Mississauga General. On December 15, 1978, she welcomed her only son, Jeremy; she delighted in motherhood. There were many happy years spent with The Buttonbush Crew before moving to Brampton. She gleefully took early retirement and focused her energy on perfecting her French to prepare for the next phase in her life. She was happiest when travelling: many road trips to Florida, and holidays with friends all over Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, Malta, but her favourite place in the world was Paris, France to visit the cousins. There wasn’t a trip that she would turn down. She possessed a lust for life, a zeal for good wine, and had a beaming smile and laugh that resonated.

Relatives and friends are invited to a celebration of Jane’s life at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S, Waterloo, on Saturday, September 5, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A toast and remarks (stories are welcome!) will take place at 2pm. Private family internment to take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, condolences for the family or donations to Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society or other charity of your choice may be arranged through the funeral home at 519-745-8445 or at www.erbgood.com.