Joseph R. Zorna

Joseph Richard Zorna, age 92, died January 5, 2014 at the Berthoud Living Center in Berthoud, CO.J was born May 17, 1921 in Manhattan, New York to Joseph Walter and Marie Francis (Kroupa) Zorna. He had no siblings. In February 1944, he married Audrey Joyce Bosworth of Seymour, Connecticut, who he had met on a blind date. They were married 65 years prior to her death in 2009.He entered the US army in 1942 where he remained for 20 years. He served in the Army's 3rd infantry division in Central Europe (Ardennes and the Rhineland) during WWII where he earned a Bronze Star for Valor, trained to speak Russian, German and Romanian and worked in military intelligence in Germany and Austria. After the war, he was commissioned and rose to the rank of captain. He later reverted to his permanent grade of master sergeant, served as sergeant major of disciplinary barracks in Lompoc, CA and after training in guided missiles, served as instructor and radar installation supervisor in the high altitude missile department in sites in the Western United States. After spending a year in Laos with the US Military Assistance Advisory Group, he retired from the Army, worked at NORAD at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO, then as a sales administrator for Tecnectics and LTV in Boulder, CO until his retirement.J and Audrey lived in Boulder, Canon City and Berthoud, CO since 1962. J was an avid reader, dog lover, animal rights advocate, outdoorsman, collector, passionate traveler to over 40 countries with his wife, and excellent cook. He had a detailed memory of names of people he knew in his life from early childhood on.Survivors include his daughter Penny Zorna of Longmont, CO, son Walter Zorna of Cheyenne, WY and daughter Marie Selander of Santa Rosa, CA, grandsons Derek Selander of Jakarta, Indonesia and Justin Selander of Santa Rosa, CA, granddaughters Ashley (Jared) Nicolarsen of Tucson, AZ and Brittany Zorna of San Diego, CA and 3 Nicolarsen great-grandchildren.Private services will be held. Cremation entrusted to Ahlberg Funeral Chapel & Crematory. Interment at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver, CO. Memorial contributions may be made to D.E.L.T.A. Animal Rescue, PO Box 9, Glendale, CA 91209 or the Boulder Valley Humane Society. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to share condolences.