Steve Zazenski

Steve Zazenski, forever the “Bayonne artist,” passed away at his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, surrounded by his wife of 54 years, Kathy, and daughters Katie and Laurie. 

Steve was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on December 7, 1948 to Steven Zazenski and Helen Zazenski (née Zientek) and lived with his maternal grandparents, Anna “Babcie” Zientek (née Posłuszna) and Piotr “Dzadzie” Zientek. Throughout his life, Steve would recall with great love the tender, formative moments he shared with Babcie. The family of five was joined by Steve’s sister, Elaine, in 1951.

In high school, Steve and his friends Paul, Larry, and Chet formed a band, The Deltairs, and in 1963, Paul asked his friend, Kathy Ambruzs, to join as its singer. This was also the year that Kathy and Steve began their lifetime partnership. The next year, the band, then called Kathy and the Deltairs, earned its claim to fame when it played, with Steve on guitar and Kathy at the mic, at the 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York.

In 1970, Kathy and Steve were married in St. Henry’s Cathedral in Bayonne. With Kathy, Steve had the foundation he needed to pursue his dream of being an artist, and in 1971, he graduated with a BFA from the New York Institute of Technology. In 1978, Steve began working as a full-time artist. 

A Signature member of the American Watercolor Society (AWS) since 2015, Steve was renowned for his watercolor, and later gouache, landscapes. In the 1980s, Steve began developing a series of paintings, which became known as the “Bayonne prints,” featuring prominent cultural and architectural points in the city he knew best, like the 8th Street Station, the Bayonne Bridge, Uncle Milty’s, and Double Hill at Hudson County Park. Teaching was also an important part of Steve’s professional life, sharing his love of painting with students of all ages, in schools, workshops, and private settings. 

During his more than forty-year career, Steve earned awards and recognitions from the American Artists Professional League, New Jersey Watercolor Society, Salmagundi Club, Rockport Art Association, Philips Mill Art Association, Lambertville Historical Society, and Artsbridge. His work is also included in prominent public collections, including the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, First National Bank of New Jersey, Angostura International, and Bell Telephone as well as private collections of British-American composer and singer-songwriter Rupert Holmes, former President of Poland (1990-1995) Lech Wałęsa, and former U.S. State Representative (D, Massachusetts) Barney Frank, among others. You can still view is work on his website at stevezazenski.com.

Personally, Steve was a man more interested in the past than the present or future, a fact of his own admission. He felt deeply linked to the events of World War II and had a depth of knowledge that could be described as expert. Steve also loved the music from this era, in particular big band, jazz, and the blues. He explored these interests—and many others—primarily through his love of reading. In his later years, Steve would devour any nonfiction book that caught his interest at the local library he visited at least once a week. Steve was also an avid sailor; he took it up in the late 1980s, and it quickly grew into his passion. Being on the water in a perfect wind brought him a peace incomparable to anything he could find on land. 

Steve is survived by his wife and partner of more than 60 years, Kathy (New Hope, PA), daughter Katie (Warsaw, Poland), daughter Laurie, son-in-law Sam, and beloved grandsons, Ben and Teddy (Flemington, NJ).

There will not be a viewing or formal service. If you would like to reach out to Kathy or the girls, your memories, thoughts, and wishes are welcome. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation.