Zona Marie Levendoski

Zona Marie (Aldrich) Levendoski was born in Faribault, MN on March 24, 1953 and passed away in Brooklyn Center on May 2, 2020. She lived every moment of every day for those 67 years and 39 days. Ask anyone lucky enough to know her and they will tell you she had the best smile and the greatest laugh. Those closest to her saw the tone of a room change when she was there. Not because she loved the spotlight; in fact she very much avoided being the center of attention. But she had a presence that warmed any space she entered. She always had a funny story, usually self-deprecating about her own personal mishaps, and she would flash that shiny smile and you knew you had met someone remarkable. Whether she was telling you about her bus ride pitfalls, interesting accessories, or various fascinating injuries and adventures with her dogs, it was always sure to entertain. Over the years, Zona worked at Kmart, JCPenney, Arthur Andersen, and Deloitte (way back to the Deloitte, Haskins & Sells days). For those that have received a gift from Zona, you may have noticed her impeccable creases in the wrapping paper. She learned and honed that skill at JCPenney. But only one of her daughters truly absorbed the wrapping lessons... we'll let you determine which one. Zona's English Mastiffs, Parker and Berkley, were the most spoiled dogs on the planet. On their daily walks, and trips to Petco, they elicited questions like "are those horses?" or "how much do they weigh?" She loved them so deeply and they loved her just as much right back. Losing her boys was so hard for her, but we smile knowing they are reunited. We can see the massive jowls just a-flapping and drool flying in every direction as they run toward her. Hopefully she has a towel handy to clean her glasses off! Culler, Camille, Oliver, Henry and Edmund were the lights of Zona's life. She loved each of them fiercely. From board games to coloring, attending events to rocking babies to sleep, baking cupcakes to making jello, she was the quintessential grandma. The grandkids each showed their love for her in such different ways, but they all agree that the key words that described Grandma Z (a.k.a HooHoo) were "purple," "cupcakes," "kindness" and "love." We couldn't agree more. These incredible kids have learned so much from Zona and have shown the same unyielding strength and love that Zona showed them. When Zona was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2019 it shook our world. We knew there was no cure, no magic treatment, no surgery, and no amount of fight that would get rid of this horrific disease. However, Zona had so many victories along the way. Each meal we shared, the drives to and from the cancer center, playing with her grandchildren, trips we were able to take, every memory we made; those were victories. And those victories drown out the one heartbreaking moment on May 2, 2020. Her suffering has ended, she has found peace, and we feel a sense of joy for that. Zona may not be with us, but she certainly hasn't "left us behind." She is part of us, part of who we are, and we each carry so much that we have learned from her. Zona's sisters Brenda and Cari, daughters Breanne and Kelsey, grandchildren, niece, nephew, extended family, and many friends, will carry those pieces forward. We are all so grateful to have been loved by such an incredible woman. Mom, we are so thankful that you are no longer in pain. While we miss you in every moment, and we ache to wake up from this new reality, we know a few things to be true because of you. We are strong, because we learned the true definition of strength through watching you. We smile, because you gave us the gift of joy. We love more fiercely, because you showed us the true meaning of unconditional love. We continue to guide your grandchildren through this process, because we know how perfectly you would have held them close and led them through this. We get through the hard days, because this entire process has drawn us all closer together. We never feel alone because we carry so much of you with us. We are proud, because we knew you and were lucky enough to be loved by you. Thank you for your endless love, bright smile, loving laugh, and for showing us such a profound example of love. Hogs and Kisses, Bre and Kelsey Zona's celebration of life, which will be joined with celebration services for her mother, Gladys Aldrich, will be held on Monday, June 21, 2021 at 11 am, with visitation one hour prior to service. A livestream of the service will also be available at LCMOnline.net Lutheran Church of the Master 1200 69th Ave N Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 763-561-5852 Please wear purple to honor Zona (or red to honor her mom, Gladys) if you are able! While face masking is not required, the CDC strongly recommends that people who are not vaccinated continue to wear face masks at indoor events where social distancing is not maintained. The family requests that you wear masks if possible in order to keep our loved ones safe! Donations made in lieu of flowers will be used to honor two organizations that were close to Zona's heart: Warrior Dog Rescue MN, and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN). After losing Zona's father to pancreatic cancer in 1992, and with Zona's diagnosis in 2019 and passing in 2020, we have been trying to bring more awareness to pancreatic cancer. To learn more about pancreatic cancer, and how you can help impact the survival rate, please visit www.pancan.org

Tributes

Zona Marie Levendoski

March 24, 1953 - May 2, 2020

Tributes

Zona Marie Levendoski

March 24, 1953 - May 2, 2020

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