Feb. 16, 1954-Aug. 27, 2004

EASTON, Md. – Donald Joseph Zoller, 50, a founder of Pendleton’s Friday Night Alive gathering, a former manager of the Pendleton J.C. Penney Store and current manager of the Penney Store in Easton, Md., died at his home in Easton on Friday, Aug. 27, 2004.

The funeral was 11 a.m. today, Sept. 1, at Talbot Bible Church in Easton, with burial to be held at the Oxford, Md., Cemetery.

Mr. Zoller was born Feb. 16, 1954, at Rapid City, S.D., to Paul L. and Mary Catherine Weber Zoller. After graduating from Rapid City Central High School in 1972 and the University of South Dakota in 1976 with a bachelor of science degree in social work, he was employed in retail sales. In 1978, he began his career with J.C. Penney Company, working as a department manager in Rapid City, then trained as a store manager in Hibbing, Minn. He was a store manager in Wadena, Minn., Pendleton, Ore., Winfield, Kan., and Pratt, Kan., and Easton, Md.

A resident of Easton since June 2001, he was a member of the Talbot Bible Church and its choir. He was a dedicated conservative, while living in South Dakota, he was chairman of Christian Action, a pro-life organization. A Civil War re-enactor, he was a member of the 20th Maine in the Northwest Civil War Council. At Pendleton, he was instrumental in starting Friday Night Alive, a weekly summer community gathering, which is still being held. He has won six Chairman’s Awards with the J.C. Penney Co. and was the first ever in the company to win for two stores in one year while in Kansas. He enjoyed all sports, especially basketball.

Survivors include his wife, the former Cyann Cox, whom he married Oct. 9, 1976; a daughter. Katherine Ann Standish and her husband, Joseph, of Rapid City, S.D.; sons, Joseph William Zoller, a student at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., and Christopher John Zoller, a senior at Easton High School; his parents, Paul L. and Mary Catherine Weber Zoller of McAlester, Okla.; sisters, Renee Ducheneaux and Krista Zoller, both of McAlester, Okla., and Zita Catherine of Puyallup, Wash.; a brother, Ed Zoller of Graham, Wash.; and his maternal grandmother, Dorothy Webster of McAlester. He was preceded in death by a sister, Bernadette Zoller, and a brother, Larry Zoller.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Talbot Bible Church Benevolence Fund, 9414 Chapel Road, Easton, MD 21601.

Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, 200 South Harrison Street, Easton, MD 21601, was in charge of arrangements.