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Light a Candle
James Zacharias, known as Captain Zach, passed away March 5, 2026, at home in Cortez, FL.He was born February 4, 1947, in Cleveland, Ohio. Zach was preceded in death by his parents, Alvin and Lottie Kasmala Zacharias; brothers Alvin Junior, Robert, Richard, and sister Marcella Tryon Kissick. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Donna Zacharias; son Joshua Zacharias (Kaimi) and beloved granddaughters Zoe and Maisie of Eastham, MA; stepson Jesse Candish of Anna Maria; sister in-law Kathy Eubanks of Bradenton; nephew Tom Tryon (Yvonne) of Ellenton; nephew Martin Zacharias, and nieces Amy Andresh and Judy Maxwell of Streetsboro, OH. Zach’s family moved to Palmetto in 1955, after purchasing the Patio Motel and restaurant. They later moved to Sarasota, where they were the resident operators of Snook Haven, the Myakka River fishing camp. Zach began working as a fishing guide as a young teenager. He graduated from Venice High School, where he wore number 77 and played tackle on the football team under the legendary coach, Jim Powell. He attended Manatee Junior College, where he was student government president. Zach left Florida and traveled the United States, landed in New England, and opened a leather shop. His love of cooking led him to work in restaurants, where he worked alongside Anthony Bourdain at Ciros restaurant in Provincetown. He returned to Florida in 1976, working at iconic local restaurants on Anna Maria Island, where he and Donna lived for 18 years. Upon leaving the restaurant industry, he earned his captain's license and became one of the earliest backshore fishing guides in the Sarasota Bay region, on his boat Dee Jay. He and his wife Donna have lived in Cortez for 34 years, where he continued working as a fishing guide until 2012. Captain Zach finished his career as a sports fishing columnist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune, retiring in 2017. Captain Zach will be remembered as a conservation focused guide and was committed to environmental preservation through volunteer efforts on the Manatee County Environmental Land Management and Acquisition Committee, the Manatee-Sarasota Fish and Game Association, and a member of FISH Association for many years. He was the winner of the Manatee County Crosswaithe Award for Outdoorsman of the Year in 1998. He was a leader in the effort to develop a top quality, artificial reef system for Manatee County and donated numerous guided fishing trips to various conservation organizations that were auctioned to benefit their projects. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Cortez.
