Dana Jill Zazinski

Dana Jill Zazinski, a trailblazing teacher, beloved mother and grandmother, and devoted friend, passed away unexpectedly on May 6, 2025 at the age of 60 in Pownal, Vermont. Born in Brooklyn, New York on July 2, 1964, Dana fearlessly charted her own path, discovering joy and meaning in unexpected places - joy that she willingly and proudly shared with anyone lucky enough to meet her. Dana was a devoted mother to her children and a recent grandmother, affectionately called “ZiZi”. Known for her stories told like excerpts from her favorite novels, Dana found magic in the most mundane and trivial things in life. An avid gardener, she was a staple at her local farmers markets and yet could be completely content to eat a bag of peanut M&Ms for dinner with her tenth rewatch of The Sopranos. She admired art, fashion, and travel and could find treasure where others saw none in the rows and aisles at thrift stores. She was one of the first female DJs in Boston, worked at WGBH and WBCN (where, notably, Dana was the voice of Karlos the Computer), and as a teacher partnered with Pirate Writers, Teach Rock, and created the Green Mountain Adventure Club as a way to enhance her students' experiences. She also raised her three kids as a single parent. Throughout her 30+ year career as a teacher in Massachusetts and Vermont, and most recently at On Point Elementary in Bennington, VT, she made it her mission to improve the lives of young people with developmental and behavioral challenges by providing a supportive space to learn, express, and play. When she became an empty nester, Dana moved from Massachusetts to Vermont and started filling her home with misfit dogs, cats, and most recently chickens. Dana was a champion for the outcasts and nontraditional lives on our earth, and that mission was clear in her animals, her work, and in her relentless message to us to pursue happiness in our own authentic ways - a message that grows again in her 8-month-old grandson, Bennett, who overflows with the love she poured into him. She was truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed. Dana is survived by her mother and stepfather, Linda and Doug Crawford of Townshend, VT, her sister, Janice Zazinski (Rob Kinslow), also of Townshend; her three children, Emily Wendel of Asheville, NC, Olivia (Colin) Parrinello of Brighton, MA, and Ian Wendel of Watertown, MA; and her grandson, Bennett Parrinello of Brighton, MA. She is also survived by her stepbrother, Scott (Paula) Crawford of Ridgewood, NJ, her stepsister, Leslie (Joel) Mercy of Williston, VT; her stepmother, Shelia Zazinski of Myrtle Beach, SC, and half-siblings Christa, Jonathan, and Michael Zazinski and their relations. She was predeceased by her father, Donald Zazinski. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to United Counseling Service which provides support to at-risk youth in Bennington, VT and to The Busyhead Project to continue Dana’s legacy of caring for people struggling with mental health. Private services will be held at a later date. The family would also like to express their sincere appreciation for the outpouring of support they have received from friends, neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones during this difficult time. As Dana would often text her children through her Siri, “big red heart”.