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Wonders of the Small Church

The small church has incredible importance and value, although it may not carry the pomp of churches in Europe and elsewhere. I have one particular small church in mind: ours.

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The First Sunday of Lent, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 9, 2014, was a milestone event in the 98-year history of Holy Trinity Church. Our church community honored Mr George Zlotnick on the occasion of his 90th birthday, and the 71st anniversary of his enlistment into the United States Army. It was Mr Zlotnick who led a group of parishioners in the mid 1950’s and constructed the present day church on the corner of Valley Street & Mansfield Avenue in Willimantic.

Mr Zlotnick is the oldest male member at Holy Trinity; he joins Evelyn Reynolds, 94, and Helen Sadow, 93, as those who have attained 90 years of age.   

Mr Zlotnick was joined by his wife Zenia, who he married on November 15, 1947, his son, Gregory; and grandchildren Peter, 28, Michael, 25, and Gregory Jr., 22, and so many from our church, along with friends from out of state, who love Mr Zlotnick so much.

Sadly, Mr Zlotnick’s youngest son, +Peter, was killed tragically in a motorcycle accident on April 18, 1975. Our church community prayed for +Peter, along with all its departed members, during a Memorial Divine Liturgy the previous day, Saturday, March 8.

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, all those in attendance (a total of 80) remained in the nave as a moving 45-minute tribute to Mr Zlotnick took place. After the Opening Prayer (“O Heavenly King …”) was offered, Mr Zlotnick led the community in the reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, quite fitting given his military service.

Opening remarks were offered by Holy Trinity pastor, V. Rev. Marc Vranes, followed by tributes from Mr Zlotnick’s son, Greg, and grandson, Peter. Greg proudly pointed out the whole of his father’s life could be seen by his determined resolve in whatever project he was involved with. Greg also pointed out that to this day his father still desperately wants to drive some of the construction company’s heavy equipment.

Mrs Elizabeth C. Paterson, Mayor of the Town of Mansfield, CT, where the Zlotnick Construction Inc. has been located for over six decades, read a proclamation on behalf of the Mansfield community, thanking Mr Zlotnick for his contribution to their town.  

Congressman Joseph C. Courtney (District II) from the State of Connecticut offered a statement which had been read on the floor of Congress on January 28, 2014, and entered into Congressional Records for eternity. The tribute was read aloud by former United States Naval pilot Mr Joseph Hutnik, a member of Holy Trinity for nearly 25 years, who also sang alongside Mr Zlotnick in our choir for over 20 years.

Click:  Congressman Courtney's Statement to read the full text

Mr Hutnik also relayed a humorous story from singing in the choir with Mr Zlotnick, who, at times, would hit a sour note. Instead of trying to regain his place with the correct music composition, Mr Zlotnick continued to sing off key, only with increased volume. Joe thanked George for helping him to develop that musical skill.

Prior to a Lenten Luncheon held in Mr Zlotnick’s honor, a champagne toast was offered by his grandchildren, Michael & Gregory. Both had tremendous admiration for the role their   grandfather had in raising them. Gregory pointed out he would always remain thankful, because it was his grandfather who taught him how to work with his hands.

There was a overwhelming outpouring of love for Mr Zlotnick. Many tears were shed, and everyone was quick to let him know how he is loved and deeply respected.

“It was a day of tremendous and powerful emotion in our humble church, a temple George helped build with his own hands,” Fr Marc said. “It would be hard to quantify just how much he has meant to this church community, and the towns of Mansfield and Willimantic.  

“George has proven throughout his life he is a true American patriot, a kind and loving family man, an astute businessman, and above all, a man of God.”

A special thanks to Peter Zlotnick who over the past several months has provided a wealth of information on his grandfather’s military history; to Barbara Lacey and Dot Sinchuk for organizing a wonderful Lenten Reception held in Mr Zlotnick’s honor, and to Mr Ken Hampson, former Holy Trinity parishioner, and owner of Mooney-Keehley Publishing Company in Rochester, New York, who offered a commemorative booklet in Mr Zlotnick’s honor.

The following information was written by Zlotnick Construction Company Vice-President Mr Peter Zlotnick on his dear grandfather, Mr George Zlotnick.   

Personal & Business Synopsis:
My grandfather was a member of the elite 17th Airborne division that jumped behind enemy lines on March 24th, 1945 in Wesel, Germany as part of Operation Varsity, the largest airborne assault in history. In 1948, after returning to Ashford, CT, George began his construction company from humble beginnings, assembling small outbuildings, chicken coops and barns for local farmers. Grandpa’s work ethic developed his enterprise into a profitable business, supplemented by the money earned from his two chicken farms. The home farm was sadly ravaged by a tornado in 1957. With no insurance and only the help of family and friends, he rebuilt all that was destroyed while maintaining his contracting endeavor. Following the tornado, in 1958, my grandfather recognized the need to incorporate the business and formally made the company into Zlotnick Construction Incorporated.

He operated the construction company and two chicken farms with the help of his wife Zenia, and two sons, Gregory and +Peter, throughout the 1950's and 60's. George's eldest son, Gregory, graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1972 with a Civil Engineering degree and quickly assumed the responsibility as President and CEO of the company.

Tragically, in 1975, +Peter was killed by a drunk driver just a half mile away from home. The company survived the hardship but it shaped the dynamic of the family and business forever. Progressing under the new leadership of Gregory, Zlotnick Construction acquired larger clients and completed a wider range of project types. Throughout this period of growth, Zlotnick Construction developed relationships with some of the largest companies in New England and completed projects for companies such as Wakefern Food, Finast Corp., Dunkin Donuts, Burger Chef, Staples, and Natchaug Hospital.

Meanwhile, Grandpa George continued to operate his farms and construction company concurrently.  Without the help and support of his family, none of this would have been possible. Grandpa prides himself on not only developing business relationships, but much more importantly, friendships. This is made evident by the longevity of our relationships and the quantity of repeat business with our customers. Our partnership with Pratt & Whitney has been continuous from 1984 to the present — and with developer Samuels & Associates from the mid 1970's to the present — exemplifying our core values of honesty, trust, and hard work

Church:
Additionally, George was one of the founding fathers of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Willimantic CT. He led  construction of the present church in Willimantic in the early 1950s along with the help of a group of parishioners.  He has remained a pillar in the church parish from its inception to the present day.

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