Obituary of Walter Zenkin

Walter David Zenkin, a retired Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise owner passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, March 22, 2017. He was 86 years old. Walter was born in Boston. His father, Walter S. Zenkin, was a Polish immigrant and his mother, Mary Zenkin had been born in Boston. He grew up in East Boston and Somerville. At the age of 12, his mother was one of the 492 people to tragically die in the Coconut Grove Fire on November 28, 1942. That event drastically changed Walter’s life. He was forced to grow up much quicker and influenced his view of life and family. He always wanted his family near and he cherished every moment together. He wanted to everyone to be happy and might have occasionally indulged them a bit more than most. They would go to church on Sunday and then out to dinner as a family. He purchased a cottage in on Old Silver Beach in Falmouth in 1969. The cottage has been the summering gathering place for his family for the past 47 years. His children and then his grandchildren enjoyed each other’s company, grew closer as a family, and have created countless lasting memories filled with laughter and love because of that cottage. Walter loved music. His home always had music playing whether it was jazz or his favorite crooner, Frank Sinatra. He had a great singing voice and would sing along with music as he worked around his home. He would take his family on outings to see Broadway shows, musicals, and concerts enlightening their appreciation of the arts. He wanted his family to do the things he had missed in his childhood. Walter was a self-made man. He purchased a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Revere in the 1970’s and ran the business for over 30 years. He worked endless hours building the business and often welcomed the help of his kids at the restaurant well before they reached working age. The kids had the opportunity to appreciate how hard he worked, make a few dollars, and get all the fried chicken they could eat! Walter had a number of hobbies and interests over the years. He always had a large vegetable garden and would spend hours nurturing his plants. When he finished harvesting his crop, he often shared his bounties with family, friends, and neighbors. He was a big Patriots and Red Sox fan and had season ticket for both teams for many years. He traveled with his wife Helen all over the world with some of their favorite destinations being, Italy, Portugal, France, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. He enjoyed testing his luck at the casinos in Connecticut or at the horse track at Suffolk Downs. Walter will be remembered for his tremendous work ethic, his dry sense of humor, generosity, and his unceasing and unconditional love for his family. Walter was the loving husband of 56 years of Helen N. (Naddaff) Zenkin. He was the loving father of Marie Z. Goggin & her husband Vincent of Nashua, NH, Suzanna “Suzie” Crowley & her husband Jerry of Andover, Noelle Z. Hanafin & her husband Richard of Burlington, and Walter T. Zenkin & his wife Lisa of Burlington. He was the brother of Margaret Buckley of Naples, FL. Walter was the proud grandfather “Judgie” of Daniel, & Joseph Goggin, Amanda & Rebecca Crowley, Monique, Christina, & Thomas Hanafin, Nicholas, Lily, Amelia, & Sophie Zenkin, and the late Renee Goggin and great grandfather of Owen Goggin. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Tuesday, March 28 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours will be at the funeral home on Monday from 4-8 p.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Walter’s name may be made to the Renee Marie Goggin Scholarship Fund, 6 Tacoma Circle, Nashua, NH 03062. For directions obituary & online guestbook see www.stmargaretburlington.org or www.sullivanfuneralhome.net