Emil Anthony ZERNICK

10 NOV 1937 - 30 JUL 2021

• BIRTH: 10 NOV 1937, South Bend, St Joseph, IN
• DEATH: 30 JUL 2021, Sanctuary at St. Paul's, South Bend, IN

• MARRIAGE: 27 JUN 1959, St Adalbert, South Bend IN

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[N29240] Emil Anthony Zernick
November 10, 1937 - July 30, 2021

South Bend - Emil Anthony Zernick, 83, passed away on July 30, 2021, at the Sanctuary at St. Paul's in South Bend, Indiana. Emil was born in South Bend on November 10, 1937. He attended St. Joseph High School and the University of Notre Dame, where he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1959. He met Jeanette Budney in high school, where their relationship blossomed and led to a wonderful marriage of 52 years until she passed in August of 2011. One of their favorite pastimes was holding Camp Zernick with their grandkids at various lake homes along the way and spending 15 years vacationing at Gulf Shores in Alabama. Grandpa tirelessly captained his pontoon boat, pulling his grandkids on inner tubes from morning to night. Upon getting married on June 27, 1959, at St. Adalbert's Church in South Bend, he began his illustrious career as a mechanical and nuclear engineer for a few Fortune 500 companies, including Consumers Power and Westinghouse. Most famously, Emil was part of a team that designed the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. This team was instrumental in the development of the nuclear technology behind it. He also helped develop the casks that stored nuclear spent fuel for Consumers Power, a noteworthy creation in his line of work nationwide. As a truly diehard Notre Dame football fan, he attended games with family members every fall for decades. His love for football most likely spurred his infamous saying when someone injured themselves or when life threw them a curveball: "Rub some dirt on it; you'll be fine," he would lovingly say with a smile. Emil was a gentle, silent leader who spoke few words, but with a ton of meaning. Life circulated around his faith, work and most importantly, his love of his wife and family. An engaging personality, he always made people feel welcome, which blessed him with friends everywhere. His motto was to always "Surround yourself with good people, smile a lot and never complain." His daily goal in life was to rise above the negativity and "Don't sweat the small stuff." Golf was a great passion of Emil's. He constantly honed his game, even taking lessons last summer in between league play to improve.Another one of his many proud accomplishments was serving nine years in the ROTC, which included six months of active duty during his younger years. In Emil's last chapter of his life, he was fortunate to build a loving friendship with former high school classmate Janet Staton. Even during Emil's fight with cancer, he lived by his guiding principles, that included, "You can do anything that you put your mind to," which greatly extended his life. He is survived by his children Mike Zernick (Melissa) of Madison, Wisconsin, Tom Zernick (Glory) of St. Pete Beach, Florida, and Anita Greer (Cris) of Jenison, Michigan and nine grandchildren Kristen, Chelsea, Meghan (Jakub), Jennifer, Emily (Moises), Aaron (Caitlin), Anna (Meado), Joey and Andy, great-grandson, Caiden, and his sisters Mary Anne Smith (Gene), South Bend and Kathy Wilson (Roger), South Bend. The visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, August 5 at St. Joseph Funeral Home, 824 S. Mayflower Road, South Bend. The funeral mass is at 1:00PM Friday, August 6 at Christ the King Catholic Church, 52473 State Road 933 in South Bend. Entombment will follow at St. Cemetery. Casual dress is welcome, and the family would appreciate wearing masks. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local hospice center. Emil was blessed to receive kind and compassionate care from his hospice team and the staff at St. Paul's. Posted online on August 02, 202