John J. Zvanovec, age 81, of Cambridge died July 30, 2021 at home. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, AUGUST 14th at Strike Life Tributes in Cambridge. A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery in New Prague at a later date. Military honors will be provided by Cambridge American Legion Post 290. The livestreamed service will be available for 75 days.
Click here to watch the livestreamed service
John Joseph Zvanovec was born October 16, 1939 in New Prague, Minnesota to George and Julia (Schoenbauer) Zvanovec. He attended St. Wenceslaus Catholic School and New Prague High School, graduating in 1958. John proudly served his country in the USMC from June 10, 1958 – June 1, 1962. On October 17, 1964 he married Lillian Trnka in Veseli, Minnesota. In 1969 they moved to Cambridge. John was a trucker and member of Teamsters Local 120. He was also a member of the Cambridge American Legion.
Family and friends were really important to him and he loved being a helper. Being asked or not being asked he would help out in a heartbeat. He loved having a beer with someone especially michgolden light. And if he started telling stories of the good old days of being a football star then we knew he had too many. His love of football no matter if it was playing or watching never seemed to end. From the moment the season started he was glued to the television and it didn’t matter who was playing from high school to professional. Vikings was his team and he was loyal by wearing his favorite sweatshirt and watching even though they disappointed him time and time again. He was an avid reader of the paper and read it every day from beginning to end. He would always clip out articles that would interest his daughter or son in law since he knew they didn’t read it. County music was also a big part of his life and he had a radio on from the moment he got up to the moment he went to bed. There was a radio on in the kitchen, family room and patio so no matter where you went you could hear it. He loved the outdoors and the summer time. Camping, fishing and sitting around a campfire were some of his favorite things to do. Just even sitting out in his patio enjoying the summer air while having his favorite beer or cigar. Everyone that knew him knows that he really enjoyed telling stories of the good old days and did he have a lot of them!!!! He also wasn’t him without that grin and a few choice swear words. He loved his family and friends and it seemed that he was everyone’s favorite uncle. His Granddaughter Madi was definitely the highlight, he couldn’t get enough pictures and silliness from that one. I know his big heart and stories will live on. Love you Dad, grandpa, brother, uncle and friend we will miss you.
John died July 30, 2021 at home with family by his side at the age of 81 years, 9 months and 14 days. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Lillian; son, Bradley; and siblings, George Zvanovec, Jr, and Loretta Kuzelka.
He is survived by his daughter, Kimberly (David) Antonovich of Eden Pairie; 2 granddaughters, Brittany and Madilyn; sister, Rita Swanovec of Fairbault; and by many other relatives and friends.