Volunteer supported nature groups 'Good person' aided church, community

7/29/2007

Anne M. Zachman, 84, an ardent supporter of parks, garden, and nature groups in Wood County who volunteered in her church and community, died Thursday in her Perrysburg home.

The cause of death was not known. She had been in declining health in recent weeks, her daughter Jane Kiefer said.

Mrs. Zachman was a trustee of the Friends of the Wood County Park District and was deeply involved in the Black Swamp Conservancy. She was a member of the Country Garden Club and was instrumental with the club in the creation of the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve in Perrysburg Township, said Andrew Kalmar, former director of the park district.

"She was always very interested," said Mr. Kalmar, who has been Wood County administrator since 2000. "She was a good person who wanted to help. She was always very kind and was a very gracious person and happy to greet you."

The nature preserve opened in October, 1997, but was in the works for more than four years, beginning with the donation of land by heirs of the late Mr. Knight. A state grant for development and the pledge by the Country Garden Club of $75,000 over six years for development of the preserve's trails followed.

Mrs. Zachman and her husband, John, were founding members of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Perrysburg. She was a member of Episcopal Church Women and a member of the diocesan bishop's standing committee.

She was long involved with the Junior League of Toledo and the League of Women Voters and, with her husband, was a founding member of Belmont Country Club and of Carranor Hunt & Polo Club.

The daughter of Stuart and Anne Morley, she grew up in Saginaw, Mich., and was a graduate of Saginaw High School. She received a bachelor's degree in performing arts from Scripps College, Claremont, Calif. From there she moved to Chicago and joined the Goodman Theater, with its drama school and professional acting company.

"That was a natural progression," her daughter said. "She wanted to study directing. My dad was studying acting, and that's where they met."

After they married and settled in Perrysburg, Mrs. Zachman was involved with community theater groups and directed Christmas pageants and productions of the Junior League of Toledo and musicals of the Suburban Singers.

Her husband was a longtime Realtor and a former Perrysburg councilman. They married Dec. 21, 1946. He died June 1, 2006.

Surviving are her daughters, Katy Zachman and Jane Kiefer; sons, Rollie, Randall, and John T. Zachman; sister, Catherine Wendland; brother, John Morley; 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

There will be no visitation. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. tomorrow in St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Perrysburg. Arrangements are by the Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, Perrysburg.

The family suggests tributes to the Higgins Lake Foundation, Roscommon, Mich., or the St. Timothy's endowment fund.