Glenwood Springs Remembers Dory Zelenka, Hot Springs Lodge Manager

Glenwood Springs —The October wind off the Roaring Fork River carries a sharp, metallic chill that settles into the bones long before the sun dips behind the Sawatch peaks. In Glenwood Springs, where the air is thin and the light hits the canyon walls with a bruised purple intensity in the late afternoon, silence can feel heavy. But for those who knew Delores Zelenka, her absence leaves a different kind of quiet — a warmth that lingers in the spaces she used to occupy, a resonance that doesn’t quite fade with the setting sun.

Dory, as she was universally known, passed away peacefully on October 16, 2026. She was 97 years old. According to the Post Independent obituary, she died surrounded by loved ones, a final act of connection for a woman who had spent the last 59 years anchoring her family in this valley.

Her life was a long, winding road that began far from the Colorado high country. Born in Tyndall, South Dakota, on June 5, 1929, Dory grew up on a family farm, attending rural schools while the prairie wind scoured the landscape. She married Anton "Tony" Zelenka in 1949, and together they raised eight children — five boys and three girls. The family’s migration to Glenwood Springs in 1967 marked a definitive shift from the flatlands of South Dakota to the rugged terrain of the Western Slope. It was a move that would define her later years, embedding her into the local fabric of the town.

If you look closely at the history of Glenwood Springs’ commercial life, Dory’s name is woven into its threads. In 1969, she began working at the Hot Springs Lodge & Pool, starting at the pool desk and in the Suntan Center, a business that later became known as the Sports Shop. She didn’t just work there; she built it from within, rising to manager by the time she retired in 2002. For over three decades, she was a constant presence, a loyal employee who treated her staff with the same fierce affection she reserved for her own children. Colleagues remember her not just as a boss, but as a friend who could make a difficult shift feel like a family gathering.

Her domestic life was equally expansive and generous. Dory was an exceptional cook and baker, a reputation that meant no one ever left her house hungry. She fed the community through her kitchen, serving meals that were as hearty and comforting as the hot springs themselves. Beyond the stove, she was an avid traveler, taking trips to Europe, cruising through Alaska and Canada, and driving the length of the United States. But her most cherished journeys were the ones that led back home, to the pool where she soaked until earlier this year.

The Post Independent notes that Dory is survived by her brother, Larry Pravecek of Beresford, South Dakota; her eight children, Kay Young, Joe Zelenka, Mary Moscon, Jim Zelenka, Bob Zelenka, George Zelenka, Theresa Zelenka, and Charles Zelenka; ten grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Tony, three sisters, two brothers, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on November 6 at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Glenwood Springs, with Father Daniel Rivas officiating. Interment will follow at Rosebud Cemetery.

As the service approaches, the town will gather to honor a woman whose kindness was as tangible as the steam rising from the river. The valley is quieter now, but if you stand by the water’s edge in the early morning, when the mist is thickest and the light is softest, you can still feel it - the enduring warmth of a life fully lived.