Zachary Zane Zies

Zachary Zies, 30, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was an inspiration to family and friends on how to live life as fully and completely as possible. Throughout his life, he always made the best of a bad situation.

At age 7, Zac was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia, a rare progressive neurological disorder.

Over time FA took away Zac's ability to walk, making him a full-time wheelchair user starting in middle school, and later causing him to lose muscle control of his arms and hands. FA caused Zac's speech to slur and over time diminished his sight and hearing, leaving him with low vision and hard of hearing.

FA also causes hearts to fail, and to break the hearts of parents, family, and friends who watch FA progress. On Sunday morning, April 12, 2026, Zac died of heart failure in the intensive care unit at Cleveland Clinic.

Zac continued to push boundaries throughout his life, showing that nothing is impossible. As a young boy and teenager, Zac participated in guided river rafting and mountain trips in Colorado. He also helped raise awareness of Friedreich's ataxia and raise funds for research, appearing in local media in Toledo, the Chicago area, and elsewhere with his service dog Zane. Zac later earned a business degree at Ohio State University.

As a young man, Zac traveled around the United States and took several trips to Europe, visiting Hungary, Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

On a trip to Hungary in the summer of 2013, Zac met Matyas Barta, an engineer, who later moved to the United States. Zac traveled with Matyas and his family around Europe and they formed a close friendship, staying in touch in Columbus and traveling together in Arizona and Las Vegas. They shared a similar sense of humor.

"I realized that his humor is pretty much close to mine. He completely understood all of my sarcastic jokes," Matyas said.

Zac made multiple trips to Budapest. "He fell in love with the city and kept telling me later that he wishes he could spend more time in Hungary," Matyas said.

Matyas admired Zac's perseverance. "He never gave up on anything."

An avid sports fan, Zac often attended Ohio State Buckeyes football, Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Columbus Clippers games. A highlight was attending Super Bowl LVIII, when the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers.

In the weeks before he died, Zac was continuing to push his personal boundaries, making plans to go skydiving with a friend.

"What I loved most about him was his passion for life and the human experience," said Joe Finnerty. "He didn't let his condition devalue his time; if anything, the opposite. He loved seeing people happy around him. He wanted to share every ounce of fun he could. Even on his deathbed, he was texting me to plan a skydiving trip. You could never stop him. That makes me think of his strength. Until the end, he was always asking what he could do to get stronger and feel better. He never gave up and worked harder than most people who don't have an excuse not to try. He brought me a lot of joy, and I hope I brought him a quarter of what he did for me. Every second we get on Earth matters, and he exemplified that."

Tori Finnerty met Zac in 2017 at Ohio State University. She had just graduated college and was working her first job as an occupational therapist. Zac was living on campus, and she was assigned to be his therapist.

"I thought he hated me that first day. I made him get out of bed early, and we all know Zac back then: video games until the early morning hours and B-Dubs on speed dial," Tori said. "But somewhere between those early mornings and stubborn starts, we became friends. I saw him twice a week, and because he was young, I wanted therapy to feel like more than therapy, so I started taking him to the gym. Even after our sessions ended, Zac never really left my life. I'd finish my hospital shifts and still meet up with him, and before long he was asking me to go to sporting events, fairs, concerts, just to be part of life with him. And of course, I always said yes. That's just who Zac was, he made people want to show up."

Tori continued: "He changed my life in ways I don't think he ever fully knew. He gave me strength when I didn't have it, hope when I needed it most, and a perspective I will carry forever. Because of him, I see the world differently. Because of him, I show up differently. And I promise my kids will know who Zac Zies was. They will know his story, his humor, his fight, and the way he lived without excuses."

Survivors include parents Gary and Susan Zies, Perrysburg; uncle, Paul A. Marcotte of Elmhurst, IL (aunt, Judy); aunt, Lenore Marcotte of La Crescent, MN (uncle, Todd Bille). Zac is survived by six cousins (Shannon Marcotte, Ryan Bille, Michaela McCluskey, Kathleen Marcotte, Jonathan Marcotte, Alison Marcotte).

As an organ donor, Zac donated tissue and his eyes to Lifebanc, which recovered skin and corneas that will be used to restore vision and provide skin grafts for burn victims. Lifebanc estimates that his donation will help up to 100 people heal.

"In life, Zac always was quick to offer a helping hand-whether it was contributing to his favorite charities, sending gifts to brighten his friends' days, or helping someone he knew was in need. It was no surprise to those who knew him best that he would continue to help others after his death," said his cousin Shannon Marcotte. In lieu of flowers, Zac requests any donations go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation or Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance.

No funeral is planned. Family will hold an event celebrating Zac's life at a later date.