October 6, 1924 – June 7, 2021

 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tony (Anton) Zelko on June 7, 2021 at the age of 96 of

heart failure. Tony was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend who

was adored by everyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with him. Tony was an incredibly brilliant,

talented, passionate, and driven individual who lived for his family first and foremost, but always found time

to lend a helping hand to a friend. He will be deeply missed by not only his family but also his plethora of

friends and acquaintances.

Tony is survived by his loving wife, Mary, his daughter, Kathy (John) Woudzia, grandchildren

Brandon Woudzia, Jennifer (Chad) Keith, Katrina Zelko, Hannah Zelko, Jillian Woudzia,

great-grandchildren Maddie Ruel-Woudzia and Landon Keith. Tony was predeceased by his

son, Gordon Zelko, his daughter-in-law, Kelly Zelko and his granddaughter, Jessica Woudzia. A

Catholic Service and celebration of life will be held in July – date to be announced.

Tony was born on October 6, 1924, in the tiny village of Suhor, Slovenia. He was the eldest of

four children and took on the role of mentor at a very early age helping to raise his siblings. He

spent his youth working on the farm, earning straight A’s at school, playing button accordion

and building his inventions. He built his own bicycle using scrap parts, skis, and invented

devices to make work on the farm more efficient. When he was 18 he was called to serve as a

soldier in WWII for the Partisans. Following the war, he returned to the farm where he spent

many a night entertaining throngs of party goers with his accordion music and endless jokes.

In 1957 he escaped from Slovenia and immigrated to Canada. He met his soul mate, Mary, also

a Slovenian, in Rossland, BC and the two of them were married on February 27, 1960. They set

down their roots in Osoyoos, BC where Tony built their very first house among many to follow,

developed his construction business and started a family, always putting them first. He also

showed great love to his grandchildren, being an important figure in their upbringing.

He was a mentor to his nieces and nephews who will be the first to tell you about the positive

impact he made on their lives, always available to share his love and wisdom.

Beyond family, Tony found time to pursue many other passions. He served as a volunteer for

The Osoyoos Elks club and the Okanagan Slovenian Society assuming the role of president, and

served on the board of directors for the Knights of Columbus and the Osoyoos Senior’s Centre.

From a young age Tony had developed a passion for music. He was highly sought after for his

lively and robust button accordion music, but he also played the mandolin and harmonica.

Tony possessed a real talent for drawing and oil painting where a display of his brilliant work

can be found at the Osoyoos museum, along with many beautiful paintings scattered throughout

his home and in the homes of his children and grandchildren. The grotto he designed, a

tribute to the Slovenian pioneers who settled in Osoyoos, and his rendition of the Canadian flag

show his diversity as an artist. Tony possessed a flair for writing. Using his proficient skills on

the laptop and ipad, he published his own magazine, wrote many stories about his life as a child

growing up in Slovenia and his life in Canada and was in the midst of completing his book.

If you were a close friend or relative, you could always expect to receive a beautifully written

poem along with a hand crafted wooden design for your birthday. He could write remarkable

poems in Slovenian but also in English, his second language.

It was not uncommon to find Tony roasting a lamb and pig on his home-made barbecue for

church group functions and Slovenian picnics where he was not only the organizer, and chef,

but also the entertainment, always ready to play some tunes and tell some jokes. He was practically

a permanent fixture during school fundraisers with his barbecue in tow. If you were to be

one of the lucky ones, and there were hundreds if not thousands, to visit him and his wife, Mary

in their lovely home in Osoyoos, not only would you be fed his homemade sausages and have

the pleasure of drinking his homemade wine while listening to his stories, but you would have

found his fireplace mantle lined with trophies. First place for his competition in the Kimberley

accordion festival, his participation in five pin and lawn bowling and for his unique inventions

displayed in the Osoyoos Cherry Fiesta. If life experience earns you a degree then Tony was

a PhD in Engineering. There wasn’t a problem that he couldn’t repair. He was always willing

to give others a helping hand and his toolbox served many a friend and family member well.

Tony was the epitome of what some would call a Renaissance Man. His talents and accomplishments