Louis Zlaty
April 11, 1926 – April 20, 2006
Live long. Laugh often. Love much. These phrases best describe the life of Alois “Louis,†Josef, Frans, Zlaty, 80, who died Thursday evening, April 20, 2006, at 8:40 p.m. in St. Joseph Hospital.
Louis was born on April 11, 1926 in Teplice, Czechoslovakia, to Emma Rössler and Eduard Zlaty. At a fairly early age, Louis’ parents both passed away and he and his siblings, Eddy, Maria and Janna were divided up and sent to separate locations to grow up. Relatives took in Eddy and one of the sisters. Louis and the second sister were taken to an orphanage.
When Louis was around 16, he was given the opportunity to join the military. He was one of the youngest paratroopers in his division. He was captured in France after a bomb fell down a chimney under which he was taking cover. He was blinded and lost a significant portion of his hearing. He served as a POW in Antwerp, Belgium. It was there that he learned to play guitar.
After his release, Louis settled in East Berlin. He became a stage manager at the local opera house that eventually led him to a stage management job for the local television studio. Louis had married and had two children, Henry and Margit. Louis’ love for life caused him a bit of trouble in East Berlin and he had to make his escape before being sentenced to 20 years of hard labor. The price was his first family. They were taken from him and given to another.
Louis made his way across the sea to Canada, where his sister Maria had started a new life. He attended night school to learn English and worked as a construction worker during the day to pay the bills. He met Irene Auclair and they had two children, Donald and Edward.
Louis’ later work took him to many interesting places: Guam, the Philippines and Jamaica. He was a trendsetter with Ziebart and later, Vital Automotive. He was the first person to come up with the idea of the liquid truck bed liner, which was later patented by Ziebart.
Louis loved music. He played the guitar in his own band for many years before an accident made that impossible. He changed over to the organ and had been entertaining people for a couple decades. Everyone from Congressmen to nursing home residents has enjoyed the music that Louis created.
Louis met Freda Livingston (Zell) in January of 1993 and they were married on July 9, 1993. Freda has a daughter named Andrea.
Louis never missed a chance to laugh. He lived life to the fullest and the world has been a better place because he has been a part of it.
Louis is preceded in death by his parents, Emma and Eduard, his sister, Maria, and his son, Henry. He is survived by his older brother Eddy, his daughter, Margit, his two sons, Donald and Edward, his spouse, Freda, and his stepdaughter, Andrea.
Funeral Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in Stout & Son Funeral Home, 200 E. Main St., Russiaville, with the Rev. Ed. Vasicek officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery. Friends are invited to call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kokomo Park Band and/or to the American Diabetes Association. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.