Zachary James Stransky

Zachary James Stransky, lovingly known as Zach, Zac, Zacka, Z, and Zackadilly, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, passed away on September 25, 2026, at the age of 17.

Born on September 23, 2009, Zach is the beloved son of Francis and Julia Stransky and the loving brother of Joseph Stransky. In his seventeen years, Zach filled the lives of those who loved him with countless memories that will be carried with them forever.

Zach loved playing basketball, watching movies, spending time with his brother, listening to and making music, going on drives, and hanging out with his friends. He found happiness in the simple moments—laughing, joking around, playing ball, having deep conversations, and just being with the people he cared about.

Zach was real. He was genuine. He talked to people in such a loving way and had a way of putting his thoughts into words that was uniquely his. He could articulate what he was thinking and feeling in a way that made people listen, and he had conversations that stayed with you long after they were over.

Those ordinary moments now become extraordinary memories—reminders of a young man who was deeply loved and whose life meant so much to so many people.

Zach’s death is heartbreaking, but Zach himself is not a sad story.

His story is so much more than its ending.

His story is every beautiful moment he shared with the people who loved him. It is his laughter and his jokes. It is basketball and music. It is drives and movies. It is growing up alongside his brother. It is friendships, late conversations, listening to one another, and simply being together.

To those who love him, Zach will always be an angel sent from Heaven. His life was seventeen years of love, laughter, friendship, family, basketball, music, growing up, conversations, and moments that can never be taken away.

There will be tears when remembering Zach, especially now. But with time, mixed among those tears will be smiles. There will be stories that make his family and friends laugh again. There will be memories that begin with, “Remember when Zach…” and moments when it feels as though he is right there with us once more.

Though his life was far too short, the love Zach gave and received during those seventeen years does not end here. He will live on in the hearts of his parents, his brother, his friends, and everyone fortunate enough to have been a part of his life.

May Zach be remembered not for the way his story ended, but for all the beautiful pages that came before it—the laughter, the friendships, the basketball games, the music, the time spent with his brother, the conversations, the times of simply listening to one another, and all of the love that we will carry with us always.

His memory may bring tears today, but one day those same memories will bring many more smiles.

Zach was here.

Zach IS loved.

And Zach will never be forgotten.