Obituary of Dennis Mark Zavitz

Dennis Mark Zavitz, 68, of Honeoye Falls, NY passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday, March 27th 2022. He is survived by his loving wife Darlene of 44 years, his sons Tyler (Casey) Zavitz, Bryan (Kara) Zavitz, grandchildren Camden and Theodore, brothers-in-law and sisters in-law Ron (Deborah) Fox, Dave (Susan) Robinson, Richard Bauserman, and many loving relatives and friends. Dennis was predeceased by his parents William and Elizabeth Zavitz, and his sister Deborah Bauserman. Dennis, or Zip, as he was affectionately known by his friends and family, was born in Rochester NY on February 7th, 1954. Raised in Henrietta, NY, Zip was an avid community volunteer with the West Henrietta Fire Department. He received the Fireman of the Year award in 1976 and rose through the ranks until he served as the Battalion Chief of Station #2 from 1981 to 1983. When he and Darlene moved to Honeoye Falls in 1985, it didn't take long before he continued his service with both the Honeoye Falls Fire Department, and the Honeoye Falls-Mendon Volunteer Ambulance. Zip held many leadership positions within those organizations, including 1st Assistant Chief of the HFFD, and Chief of the HFMVA. He received the HFFD's Distinguished Service award in 2019 and was a life member of the department. Dennis' professional career began in 1981 with The Pike Company as an Accountant. He served in this position for many years until he was tasked with forming the Safety Department within the organization. Dennis and his colleague took this task head on and passionately grew the safety department to where it stands today. Dennis ultimately held the position of Safety Director upon his retirement in late 2019, after nearly 38 years with the company. Above all, Dennis loved his family dearly and enjoyed spending time at the family camp. He always made sure the pond was stocked with fish so his grandkids could try and reel in the "big" one. At Sunday dinners, nobody ever went home hungry and he made sure everyone took leftovers, even if they were too full to look at them. His prized possession, 'Rubi' the Jeep Rubicon (one of several Jeeps that he navigated through his life) was continuously being upgraded to his liking, although his tastes and ideas for it seemed to change daily. Friends and family may call on Thursday, March 31st from 4pm-7pm at Merton H. Kays Funeral Home, Inc. 59 Monroe Street, Honeoye Falls, where a funeral service to take place on Friday, April 1st at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dennis' honor to the Honeoye Falls Fire Department (7 Monroe Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472), the James P Wilmot Cancer Center (601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642), or The West Henrietta Fire Department (P.O. Box 201, West Henrietta, NY 14586).