Below are some of the videos
Zach created himself as well as
memorials and inspirations from others. 
Videos of the funeral mass can be found
under the "Funeral" tab.

Enjoy this slide show of Zach’s visit to Alaska in July of 2014. This was his second trip to the state and our dear friend, Steve Widmer, was the host and guide for his trip to Pilot Station and St. Mary’s where his mother served as a Jesuit Volunteer from 1980 to 1982. Steve shares his memories:

It’s a cliche to say “it seemed like yesterday” but, in fact, Zach’s last visit to Alaska was in the summer of 2014! So, six plus years ago Zach was up here. And that was his second visit...he came one time prior to that...was it the summer before, in 2013?

But most important, Zach’’s two visits were memorable! His main goal with both visits was to get out to western Alaska, to the Lower Yukon and the village of St. Marys, where his Mom lived and taught as a Jesuit Volunteer, and where his Dad traveled throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Zach’s first visit wasn’t exactly a disappointment to him but, due to weather and circumstances, we weren’t able to take my small plane through the Alaska Range to get to western AK. Zach was sad about that but I kept him busy. Instead we did AK ‘tourist-y’ trips, more local, like glacier viewing, salmon fishing with my son, etc. HOWever, even without the excitement of getting far west to the Yupik villages, we did manage to cross Cook Inlet one afternoon to the ‘west side’, as it’s called, and were rewarded with making a sketchy wilderness landing on a gravel bar at the headwaters of the upper MacArthur River, just below isolated Blockade Glacier! We hiked toward the glacier, took in the beauty of a place where few have flown...much less actually walked. But not to allow Zach to have a boring wilderness hike, on our way back to the Scout (my tandem 2-seat Bush plane...) winding through the glacier moraine and Bush...we happened upon a missile! What did I just say...yes...sticking out of the sand in the middle of nowhere, we found what-we-later-learned was a Vietnam era missile, often used by helicopters training, somehow flying over where we walked...and no doubt some trainee decided there’d be no harm shooting off a missile in this no-man’s-land. Zach and I managed to dig it out, as fearless Zach dug down with his hands...and I’m screaming “Zach, this is no doubt unexploded ordinance...don’t blow us up”!! To end this part of the story I’ll just say we got the missile out AND managed to fly it back to the Kenai Airport...and didn’t blow up our trusty Scout stead in the process. All our friends at the Kenai Airport were in awe re: our find...but we eventually delivered it in one piece to the Alaska State Troopers in Soldotna, for their review and save keeping!

WHEW...and that was just Zach’s first visit...

In 2014 Zach returned to my home in Soldotna. His week-long visit went great again; This trip’s visit and subsequent story is perhaps boring in comparison (JK JK) BUT with Zach’s second visit we were finally able to make it through the Alaska Range via gloriously treacherous Merrill Pass (named after the famed AK Bush pilot, Merrill Wien), into interior Alaska. After a fuel stop at the Yupik village of Aniak on the Kuskokwim River, we continued northwest and eventually got to the Lower Yukon. Zach absolutely loved his time in my second home of Pilot Station, taking traditional Yupik ‘steams’ with my friends there (“Hey Abe, where the hell is Zach”? “OH, he’s taking a maquii (steam) again with (whoever)”!! DANG that guy...LOL.

But Zach finally made his dream come true. With my friend Leo and his family, one day we all boated down the Yukon to St. Mary’s where Zach was able to walk around the village, go to the Native AC Store, and then walk that hallowed ground that his Mom knew SO well! To say he was very, very pleased is an understatement! The remainder of our trip included so much more, including trips to Abe’s family’s traditional fish camp, fishing the Yukon for salmon with Leo...on and on.

Then our long grueling flight back to the Kenai Peninsula. Weather required a looong detour home, flying low and in bumpy turbulence, all the way up the Yukon, almost to Fairbanks, then south along Denali National Park, a stop for fuel in the Bush pilot’s mecca, the village of Talkeetna (headquarters for flights to Mt. McKinley), finally arriving back at Kenai Airport late amongst the shining midnight sun.

SO, that’s a summary of my good friend Zach and his Alaskan journeys! Zach’s parent’s trust in my ability to keep us safe in a State known for its unforgiving weather and terrain is something I’ll never forget. All these stories, and more, affected my life as much as it affected Zach’s!

And Zach, I am CERTAIN...Zach, I am ABSOLUTELY positive...you’re up there smiling at this very moment as you and I relive our adventures together. And Zach, my tears are welling-up for us right NOW!! I LOVE you...
Steve (Widmer)
Soldotna, AK