Donald Zec 1919–2021
It was with real sadness that I heard the news today of the passing, aged 102, of Donald Zec — or as he was known in our house, ‘Uncle Donald’.
Uncle Donald was ever-present in the background of my childhood. His natural ability as a wit and raconteur as well as his own, very specific point of view on the world, made him a treat to be around. There was always a palpable excitement in the air when Uncle Donald, and his saintly, beautiful wife Frances, were due to visit.
A generation later and our own children warmed just as easily to ‘Uncle Donald’ (he was in his 90s and a great-great-uncle at that point). He was delighted to spend time with them too and hear about their dreams for the future.
On one occasion when we visited his flat in West London, he played them a tune on his piano, showed some of his latest drawings, told a quite shocking but very funny joke involving running people over with a car. He also give them some advice on how to size people up when you meet them – which from an interviewer of his calibre really meant something.
The whole meeting made a big impression on them all.
As one of 11 children himself, life in the early days was not easy for the Zec family. In an unpublished, but highly touching account that he shared with my mother, he painted a picture of mounting bills and demands from creditors accumulating behind the mirror hanging on the living room wall, while his parents tried desperately to provide a decent family life, with human dignity maintained. But while desperation can grind people down and limit their aspirations, it clearly didn’t hold back Donald who threw himself into his life with enthusiasm and positivity right up to the end.
“Sweet indeed are the uses of adversity”, as he wrote, quoting Shakespeare.
In remembering Uncle Donald, I’m sure a lot of attention will be paid to his stellar career as a writer and journalist which has a level of glamour all its own.
But to me his career was merely a symptom of a wider personality trait — an unquenchable zest for life. Who else, in their 90s, could take up piano and drawing and not only succeed at it, but actually win awards? Only Uncle Donald.
A truly great and admirable man. An inspiration for multiple generations. Wherever he is now, I am sure Uncle Donald will be uplifting whoever he is with. How could he not?
Matthew Kershaw, 6 September 2021
