April 11, 1991-Feb 7, 2024
It is with immense sadness and profound heartache that Zalen's family share the loss of their son and brother, who passed away on Feb 7, 2024. Zalen was the beloved and cherished son of Mike and Michelle (nee Coutu) and the only brother to Christian.
He was taken from us at 32 years of age. He is sadly missed by his Fur daughter Sadie who turned 14 on February 14th. Zalen had the kindest soul, impish grin and talents that reached beyond his career as a Bartender. He loved to cook and prepare meals for his parents and family and friends and could put together a large gathering with food and cocktails for many people at a moment's notice. When you sat at the table with Zalen as Chef and Bartender, you felt his love in his concept meals and custom cocktails.
He always took the time to get to know his patrons and even created cocktails named after some of his guests, such as Stink-eyed Angie, and put a new spin on the Lloyd. His soft blue eyes and beautiful smile greeted you and penetrated your soul. He had such joy when he cooked and hosted and loved to decorate our kitchen with his custom-made sauces and dressings. One of his greatest loves was music of any kind, but especially rock classics. He woke up listening to music and retired for the night watching movies.
He was fond of anything funny and knew every Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, and all comedy movies line by line. He was an avid sports fan and loved all teams Toronto. We watched the Leafs, Blue Jays and Raptors together whenever possible. He loved playing hockey, ODR, Shinny, loved basketball with DK; Bitter Lake memories with Jim, swimming with Sadie, and boating on Trout Lake. His respect for his brother and mentor Christian was enormous.
A private celebration was held.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the North Bay and District Humane Society, the All Heart Pet Rescue, and the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority would be appreciated.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Martyn Funeral Home, and online condolences can be offered at www.martynfh.com