| Date of Birth | December 17, 1933 |
| Passed Away | November 26, 2008 |
| Place of Residence | Hornell |
| Home State | NY |
| Service Date | December 4, 2008 |
| Service Time | 7:00 PM |
| Service Location | Bishop & Johnson Funeral Home |
CHRISTOPHER MATTEO ZEMA
HORNELL-Christopher Matteo Zema, son of Bastiano and Bertha Viscardi Zema, was born in Mt. Kisco on Dec. 17, 1933 and passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008.
He is survived by his wife, Pamela, whom he met in England in 1955 and married in Katonah in 1956; daughter, Linda Zema (Fred Cagnetto) of Goshen, son Christopher (Lisa) Zema of Hammondsport, Paul Zema of Painted Post and daughters, Laura (Joseph) Mead of Belmont and Rosemary (Jason) Waddle of Venice, Fla.; four grandchildren, Rachel, Jason and Jason and Samantha; one great-grandchild, Jacob. He is also survived by his sister, Vincenza (Renzo) Guidarelli of Brooklyn; brother, Matteo (Grace) Zema of Stephentown and eight nieces and nephews.
From 1952 through 1955 Chris served in the Navy as a pipefitter/welder on the USS English. Following his honorable discharge in 1956 he worked for several years in his father’s plumbing and heating business. In 1960 he bought a beautiful farm on Bonny Hill near Bath where the family lived for the next eight years with their dairy cows, sheep, pigs and chickens.
The West was calling, they sold the farm (big mistake) and spent the next five weeks traversing the U.S. in a bakery van that he converted into a mobile home, destination Oregon. Two years later the family moved back to the beautiful Finger Lakes where they have resided since 1971 near Hornell.
He worked as a union carpenter until his retirement in 1993, then became very involved with woodturning. With dedication and determination, he perfected his technique and developed a unique classic style, turning beautiful bowls, vases, platters and natural decorative vessels, some inlaid with turquoise. He became a master at his craft.
With intense love of the sea and local lakes, his one true passion was being out on the water in his boat fishing.
He was a good, hardworking man all his adult life, loved his family and would help anyone at any time. He was loved and will be missed.
Calling hours are from 1-3 and 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Bishop & Johnson Funeral Home, Inc., 285 Main St., Hornell where a funeral and committal service, with military honors, will be held following calling hours at 7 p.m. Thursday with the Rev. Ralph Eastlack of Wellsville, officiating.
Those wishing may contribute in his memory to the Hornell Area Humane Society, PO Box 533, Hornell, NY 14843. Envelopes for memorial contributions will be available at the funeral home.
My Uncle Chris was a special uncle full of strength, smiles, and ability. He was a vibrant, unique and unforgettable person with sparkling blue eyes and a creative genius as his handiwork, carpentry and woodturning craftsmanship all attest to. We miss him dearly and more than words can say. To all the family – at least now his suffering is over. May he rest in peace. Our love and prayers go out to you all. God Bless.
I did not know him personally, but his daughter Laurie and Husband Joe are my true best Friends. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. May peace be with you. “To Remember is painful, to forget is impossible.” He is not with you, but his memories will never fade.
Uncle Chris was a strong determined sole.
He realized the significance of hard work and respect for the principals our country was founded on. Chris was unique in that he never backed down from what he believed was true and right. He was strong in spirit and body and we are all astonished his life could of ended so soon. Chris leaves us sadly and unexpectedly. He truly had a lot more to achieve, enjoy and teach us. Thinking of Chris will always remind us that life is precious and never to be taken for granted. He constantly reminded us to stand up for what we believe. Without a doubt those who knew Chris, are assured he loved his wife Pam and the life they chose for themselves. His impact on our lives will keep our memories of him alive forever. Thank you Uncle Chris we love you
Uncle Christy was a strong, independent, creative individual, who lived on his own terms, by his own lights. He will be sorely missed.
“Some words about Dad”
Some of my earliest memories of my Dad were when I was a small child. He was working out of town and I never saw much of him. Mom would put me to bed and some time later I would slip back out of bed and sit by my upstairs bedroom window waiting for him to come home from work. When he arrived I’d would wave to him, he’d wave back and all was right with the world for that day.
I have a few vague memories of my father, my brother Chris, and myself occasionally playing catch back on the farm in Bath. I also remember him teaching us to aim, and shoot Grandpas’ old .22 rifle, but what I remember the most was Dad taking us fishing. Sometimes we’d go to the Catfish pond, sometimes the Sunfish pond, and sometimes to Keuka Lake on the old boat we had. Dad had a passion for fishing since he was a boy, and it rubbed off on me as well.
My father was one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known. It seemed he was almost always working. When he wasn’t working in construction, he’d be working on the farm, getting firewood, working in the garden, or on some project in the house. He worked all of us kids as well. Being the oldest son, my brother Chris bore the brunt of the work Dad didn’t have time to do himself. Out of the children, he was the workhorse among us most of the time. Eventually that title was handed down to me, and then my two younger sisters, but all of us learned what hard, honest work was while we were growing up.
He was also a man of ethics and was dependable. No job was left half finished. Honesty was a given. Sloppy work was totally unacceptable and never tolerated. If it wasn’t done his way, it was wrong. You did what you were told- no questions asked, you cleaned your plate, and heaven help you if you were ever caught lying or showing disrespect. Neither Mom, nor Dad tolerated any foolishness from us kids. We were raised with tough love, but it gave us all good work ethics.
Our father was also was a master at solving problems. He had a knack for looking over things like machines, or problems on a construction site and being able to fix them, even if he’d never seen them before. He once told me “If I can take it apart, I can fix it and put it back together”, and he did that through out his whole life. He fixed things that were deemed impossible to fix by others. Then there was the occasional problem that seemed impossible even for him. He would try every approach he could think of, never giving up, stopping only when he was exhausted, which was extremely rare as he seemed to have an endless supply of energy. Then he would lie in bed thinking about it half the night till he fell asleep. When he woke in the morning, he knew what to do. That skill came in handy many times over the years.
If there was something he wanted or needed, he’d go and look at it like he was in the market to buy it. See how it was made, and come home and build it. He saw no sense in buying anything he could build himself.
Dad was a man of action and integrity, and he’d take on your problems like they were his own, and you got his help whether you wanted it or not. If something needed to be done, he did it yesterday, and then asked you why you didn’t do it. When I was younger and not as wise, I’d get upset with him because of these traits. Now I realize how admirable they truly are.
He was not an easy man to live with. He never sugar-coated anything. He told it like it was in his eyes. There were many times that we fought and argued, both being of the same nature, but different also. Over the years, I’ve learned to accept people for who they are and looking back I’ve realized that most of the time when we fought, he was right.
Our father never used much tact. There was no room for it in his life. Dad seemed to be quite a hard man, but he had a much bigger heart than he let on, he just didn’t know how to show it in ways most people can understand. I understand now, I couldn’t always see it years ago, but as I’ve changed I’ve seen it more and more. Now it’s clear to me just how much he cared for ALL of us. I hope to be half the man he was. He will always be with us in our hearts and we love him more than he ever could know.
A giant of a man has fallen and will be dearly missed.
I love you Dad.
We all do.
A message to our father Chris, from our mother, Pam:
“Everywhere I look. I see you, and every spring, when all the lovely trees and shrubs you planted for me come into bloom, you will seem especially near.
I love you.”
When a loved one Drops their body, part of them stays with you, and part of you stays with them.