...She was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts on April 15, 1920.  As a young woman, she received the Young Artist Diploma from the National Guild of Piano Teachers in 1938.  During the 1940s, she served as a USO hostess receiving high military recognition for acclaimed musical and dance presentations at Westover Air Force Base.  She  began her piano teaching career in the 1950s while stationed in Japan with her husband, the late Jason Carson Deaton.

...She resided in Camp Springs, Maryland, for 46 years of her life until 2008, during which time she continued to teach piano, including to the resident Daughters of St. Anne's Convent and to elderly in her community.  She was chair of the Andrews Air Force Base NCO Wives Club and was awarded by the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air force a certificate for Outstanding Leadership in the Catholic Religious Programs of Andrews Air Force Base.

...She was a longtime member of the Prince George's Music Teachers Association, serving as recording secretary, nominating chair, and hospitality chair for the Broad Creek Music Festival.  Upon retirement, she was named to Emeritus Membership of the Prince George's Music Teachers Association.

...She moved to Frederick, Maryland, where she lived with her daughter, Joy, for the past six years.  She is survived by her children--Suzanne M. Kreisher, Joy A. Colman, Michael J. Deaton, and Janet E. Warwick.

After a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease, Zelma went to her eternal home of rest and healing with Jesus on that breathtaking Fall day, November 2, 2013.   She is and will be forever missed...