Lana Sue Zinkon

Lana Sue Zinkon, 56, passed away Thursday, October 28, 2010 surrounded by family and friends at her home in Baltic, Ohio. She succumbed after a long and courageous battle with Pulmonary Hypertension.Born in Dover, Ohio on October 19, 1954, Lana was the daughter of Jack and Virginia Zinkon, of Baltic, Ohio. She grew up in Baltic, Ohio graduating from Garaway High School in 1973. She became a nurse, earning her RN at Otterbein College and Grant Hospital School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio in 1976. She began her nursing career at Cedar Point Amusement Park, eventually becoming First Aid Supervisor. A desire to travel led her to join Flying Nurses, where she accepted temporary nursing assignments in hospitals in Houma, Louisiana and Walnut Creek, California, and then at Camp Blue Star near Hendersonville, North Carolina. Lana settled in Hendersonville, where her children were born. She joined Rockwell International as an industrial nurse. After moving back to Baltic, she was employed by Pomerene Memorial Hospital, and finally as an occupational nurse at the Occupational Medicine Center of Tuscarawas County in New Philadelphia. She was active in the Tuscarawas County Safety Council and a member of the First United Church of Christ at Sugarcreek.Lana was known for her sense of humor, and the positive outlook she maintained throughout her difficult health challenges. She had many passions in life, including her twin daughters, the music of John Denver, musical theater, environmental causes and animals. She was a member of the ASPCA, and was on the Board of Directors of the Windstar Foundation/John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth, an organization dedicated to the promotion of a healthy environment and the creation of a quilt made from cloth collected from people around the world, symbolizing collective prayers for hope and peace. Although Lana did not receive her long-awaited lung transplant, she remained a strong supporter of organ and tissue donation. At her request, her lungs, pulmonary fibers, and bone marrow have been harvested and donated to the Cleveland Clinic for use in a study to help doctors better understand the causes and treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension.In addition to her parents, Lana is survived by her daughters, Amanda Zinkon of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Emily Zinkon of Baltic, Ohio; and her sister, Jackie Zinkon, of Sugarcreek, Ohio. She leaves behind many dear friends, colleagues, and her beloved pets. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Howard and Hazel Zinkon, of Baltic, Ohio, and Hugh and Blanche Brown, of West Lafayette, Ohio.A memorial service will be held Sunday, November 7, 2010, beginning at 2:00P.M. at the Sugarcreek First United Church of Christ with Rev. Anissa Bacon officiating. Following the service, the previously scheduled �Celebration of Life� gathering will proceed as planned at the Carlisle Inn of Sugarcreek. Those who wish to express their condolences and share memories of Lana are encouraged to attend.Memorial contributions in Lana�s name may be made to: The Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 801 Roeder Road, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD, 20910; Donate Life Ohio � Second Chance Trust Fund, 246 North High Street, 8th Floor, Columbus, OH, 43215; The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, P.O. Box 931517, Cleveland, OH, 44193-1655; or Hospice of Holmes County, c/o Holmes County Health Department, 931 Wooster Rd., Millersburg, OH, 44654.