Obituary of John Joseph Zingsheim

On March 5th John Joseph Zingsheim was called home to his Heavenly Father after a long and courageous battle with leukemia cancer. John was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and will be missed dearly by all his family. John was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 28, 1921, the cherished only son of George Zingsheim and Christabel Kohl Zingsheim. John lived his formative years in Minneapolis attending Incarnation and Washburn High School. John, a member of ROTC, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1943 as a chemical engineer. He promptly went on to officer training school and was selected to attend specialized radar training at MIT and Harvard where he would specialize in the latest technology. Captain John J. Zingsheim proudly served his country in WWII leading a team of anti-aircraft troops protecting the Panama Canal from possible bombing raids. On July 1, 1944 he married Nellie Irene Miller, the love of his life. He said, “Once I met her I wasn’t happy without her.” All through any separation from her due to his service, he wrote her long and loving letters which she has to this day. She was able to join him in Panama. After the war he used his talents as a chemical engineer and worked first for Standard Oil in California. Then the family moved to Minnesota where he proudly worked for 3M for 37 years before retiring. John was a devote Catholic and attended St. Peters Catholic Church in North St. Paul since 1959. After retirement John served his parish enthusiastically as a deacon. He had an unwavering faith in God. Prayer and devotion sustained him through life’s many trials and he freely acknowledged His miracles. John loved to play bridge with his wife and friends. He also was devoted to his breakfast club friends. As a lifelong learner, John always was reading and kept abreast of the latest technologies in his field well after his retirement. He taught himself French when in his 70's for a trip to France. He decided he wanted to use computers in his 80's and became a competent email and internet user. His love of literature and the sciences was never ending. He was a proud Eagle Scout. John is survived by his loving wife, Nell, his seven children, Jean, John, Robert, Mary, Thomas, Michael and James. Also by son-in-law Harvey, and daughters-in-law Kathy, Mimi and Cindy. He is survived by seventeen grandchildren, Jennifer Taylor-Burton (Austin, TX), Heather Davis (Middleburg, VA.), Joshua Dordek and Corey Dordek (Austin, TX), Joseph Porto (Irvine , CA), Danielle Iverson, Christopher Porto, Nicholas Porto and Jennifer Porto (Minneapolis, MN), John Zingsheim, Thomas Zingsheim and Steven Zingsheim (Ham Lake, MN), Justin Zingsheim (Madison, WI), Jared Zingsheim and Selena Zingsheim (Chaska, MN), Shawn Zingsheim and Ashley Feucht (Woodbury). He is also survived by seven great-grandchildren, Sophia, William, Vivian, Adeline, Colin, Aurora and Ryan. There will be a visitation on Thursday, March 10th, from 5 – 8 at Sandberg Funeral Home, 2593 7th Ave. E., North St. Paul, MN. The Funeral Mass will be on Friday, March 11 at noon at St. Peters Catholic Church, 2600 Margaret Street in North St. Paul followed by a reception. The burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery at 45th and Chicago, Minneapolis. Memorials welcome to the Masonic Cancer Center - University of Minnesota - Acute Leukemia Research. The family would like to thank Dr. Warlick, of the Masonic Cancer Center, for her wonderful care of their father.