Robert Zane Cieslak

Obituary For Robert Zane Cieslak

Robert “Bob” Zane Cieslak was born on June 5, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, the only child of Zane and Monica Cieslak, themselves the children of Polish immigrants. From a young age, Bob was fascinated by airplanes, a passion that shaped the rest of his life. He built model planes as a boy, studied them as a young man, and eventually designed and flew them as a career aerospace engineer and pilot.

Bob passed away peacefully in his home in Hoschton, Georgia, on September 23, 2025, at 4:29 a.m., surrounded by love. His beloved wife of nearly sixty years, Madonna Scheve-Cieslak, was by his side. They were married on October 8, 1966, in a small church tucked beneath the Arch in St. Louis. Their marriage was a testament to faith, humor, and patience (mostly on Madonna’s part, the family jokes).

He was the proud father of three children—Christine, Edward, and Janice—and the joyful grandfather of eight: Christopher, Marissa, Caroline, Anne Marie, Eli, Nathan, Joseph, and Jonathan. Just last year he became a great-grandfather to Henry, a role that brought him more immense delight.

Bob lived life with music in his heart and laughter on his lips. He was an accomplished pianist who could fill a room with Chopin or with ragtime, depending on his mood. He also wrote Grassroots: The Young Field of Aviation, a biography of his father’s remarkable career alongside Charles Lindbergh.

In later years, Bob’s curiosity led him around the world. He worked in Indonesia for two years, traveled widely, and always returned with stories—though usually only after someone pried them out of him. Family lore includes the time he casually mentioned going to a Whitney Houston concert in the early 1990s “because he heard she was good.” He also happened to meet Charles Lindbergh, Liza Minnelli, Demi Moore, Paul Newman, and Tiger Woods, yet reported these brushes with fame as if they were no more notable than buying a loaf of bread.

Bob’s life was rooted in faith as a member of Saint Catherine Labouré Catholic Church, and in a family, who will forever cherish his humor, storytelling, and music. He leaves behind not just memories, but a reminder that the most extraordinary life is often lived in the everyday.

He will be deeply missed and joyfully remembered by all who knew him.

The staff of Central Cremation Services is honored to be selected to provide end-of-life services for the family of Robert Zane Cieslak.