Thelma Faye Zak
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Thelma Faye Zak, 87, of Walpole, New Hampshire, and formerly of Grafton, Vermont, and Bryan, Texas, died peacefully at her home Friday, December 17, 2021.
Born April 22, 1934, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Faye and Arthur Hurley, Thelma was the oldest of six children. She graduated from Bryan High School in 1952, and soon after married the love of her life, Albin Joseph Zak, Jr. They spent more than 58 happy years together before Albin passed away in 2010, enjoying what they described as life's "great adventure."
A lover of history, Thelma developed a passion for antiques and began collecting when she lived with her young family in France in the 1960s. In 1991 she opened Sylvan Hill Antiques in Grafton Vermont, where she offered a premier collection of fine early English furniture and collectibles. She became known across the United States as an expert in early English oak furniture, and her shop, located on her property at Sylvan Hill Farm, became a destination for collectors.
Thelma is survived by her four children, Albin, Liza, Andrew and Susannah, and their spouses, Vicky, Steven Witt, Maria, and Andrew Figura, seven grandchildren, one great granddaughter, her sisters Jean and Janey and brother Lewis, and her brother- and sister-in-law Michael Zak and Janice Haesler. Burial and funeral service, as well as a celebration of life, will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending donations to River Valley Seniors at Home, 82 North Road, Walpole, NH, 03608.