Roland Joseph Zarlengo, MD

DR. ROLAND ZARLENGO '"" A PHYSICIAN AND GENTLEMAN March 23, 1919 '"" December 28, 2007 Dr. Roland Joseph Zarlengo was a healer and a gentleman. He was deeply committed to his family, his community, and his Catholic faith. He found great pleasure in sharing his dry wit and charm with those around him. Throughout his life, he indulged a passion for opera and dancing to big band era music. Well known as a dapper dresser, his children often joked that wearing one of his signature smoking jackets was his idea of dressing casual for dinner. A first-generation Colorado native, Dr. Zarlengo was born in Denver in 1919 to Denver born Elizabeth Fabrizio (1883-1936) and Italian immigrant Gioacchino 'George' Zarlengo (1881-1953), a prominent Denver businessman. The eighth of nine children, Roland earnestly embraced the values emphasized by his parents of a deep faith in God, a love of family and country, and a profound respect for education and self-improvement. Throughout his school years, he displayed exceptional intellectual acumen as well as natural leadership ability. While attending Regis High School, he excelled in scholastics, sports, elocution, drama and debate. Among the first to receive the prestigious May Bonfils Academic Scholarship, Roland continued his education at Regis College where he received his Bachelors Degree of Biological Sciences. Pursuing his love of science and medicine, he entered medical school in 1941 at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. There he met his late wife of 57 years, Cecelia Margrette 'Peggy' Zarlengo, a student at Creighton University School of Nursing (class of 1943). They married in 1944 shortly after Dr. Zarlengo's graduation. After serving as a captain in the United States Army/Air Force during World War II, Roland and Peggy settled in northwest Denver where he established Highland Medical Center, tirelessly providing caring and compassionate medical assistance as well as counsel and comfort for a broad-based community of multi-national immigrants and native Denverites. Dr. Zarlengo retired from private practice in 1966 and joined Western Electric as Regional Medical Director for the Mountain Northwestern Region. During his medical career, he served as president of the Colorado Academy of Family Practice, and as president of the Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational Medicine. He retired from Western Electric in 1984 to pursue a variety of entrepreneurial and philanthropic interests. He supported his community through volunteer service on a variety of public and private boards. For several years after his retirement, he remained actively involved as a board member of the Bal F. Swan Foundation. Also, throughout his career and well into retirement, Dr. Zarlengo volunteered his services as Medical Director for the Little Sisters of the Poor's Mullen Home, serving in this capacity for 42 years. His generosity and support of the Archdiocese of Denver, Regis University and Creighton University has been publicly recognized through numerous awards and publications. Dr. Zarlengo passed away peacefully on Friday, December 28th, 2007. He is survived by his son David G. (Deborah) Zarlengo, and his daughters Barbara Zarlengo, Suzanne (Robert Singer) Zarlengo , Mary (Thomas Bock) Bock- Zarlengo, Linda Z. (John) DeBuno, Patricia (Richard Strouse) Zarlengo-Strouse, grandchildren Anthony DeBuno, Jessica and David Strouse, sister-in-laws Irene Zarlengo and Imelda Kaminski, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2nd at Regis University Chapel, 5250 Lowell Boulevard, Denver, CO. Memorials can be sent to either Regis University, 3333 Regis Boulevard, B-16, Denver, CO 80221, or to the Alzheimer's Association, 689 Sherman, Denver, CO 80203.