JACOB "JAKE" WURZEL

Jacob "Jake" Wurzel, 74, passed away June 2, following a two-year struggle with esophageal cancer.

Jake was a prominent member of Duluth's business community and a patron of the arts, having served several terms on the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors.

Born in Rochester, Penn., in 1938, Jake moved to Cook, Minn., with his parents in the late 1940s and subsequently graduated from Cook High School, where his mother, Coral Wurzel, also worked as a teacher. After studying for several years both at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota and at the University of Tampa (Florida), Jake came to Duluth and began his business career as a night desk clerk at the Edgewater Motel on London Road (now the Edge Resort and Waterpark) and quickly rose to become first the manager and then one of the owners of the firm. In addition to his tenure on the Symphony Board, Jake served as Chairman of the Minnesota State Motel Association, the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Duluth Junior Achievement. He retired in 2004 as president of ZMC Hotels, the hotel management company he helped to found along with Manley and Erwin Goldfine. His wife Florence ("Billie") proceeded him in death in 2004.

He is survived by his two sons, Chris and Nick, and four grandchildren.

MEMORIAL SERVICE: 2 p.m. Tuesday July 10, in Sacred Heart Music Center 201 West Fourth Street. In lieu of flowers, if so desired, memorials may be directed to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home (218) 727-3555.

Tags: obituaries

Sign the guestbook

Comments posted on this page do not reflect opinions of Forum Communications Company. Forum Communications Company does not endorse and is not responsible for any statement, opinion, advice given or made. All replies are subject to approval and must follow Forum Communications Company guidelines concerning statements of libel, personal attacks or defamation of character. Replies in the "Talk About It" section that criticize a person by name may not be posted, unless that person is openly involved in a public issue. Comments written in all capital letters or bold print will not be considered for inclusion in the forum.

Terms & Conditions