Alfred Dudley Zellner was born on November 30, 1933, in Macon GA, to Martha and Dudley Zellner.  He and his siblings were raised in Macon until they moved to Chicago, IL in 1945. After a short while, the family moved to Cleveland, OH in 1949, where he resided until his transition.

Alfred accepted Christ and grew up attending his grandfather’s Baptist church.  He converted to Catholicism but returned to his Baptist roots when he joined and remained a member of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. He graduated from East High School, where he was a member of the track team.  In 1954, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Wright.  Two children were born of this union, Lorraine and Dianne.

Alfred was called to serve in the United States Army in 1955, where he became a Military Policeman and served in Okinawa, Japan until 1957.  Post-service, he worked for the Railroad Retirement Board and the U.S. Postal Service.  He began his career with the Cleveland Police Department in November, 1962.  While with the police department, Alfred rose from patrolman to detective.  He also was a member and past resident of the Black Shield Club Association.  He retired from the Juvenile Division where he served as the police liaison for Juvenile Court in April, 1990.  Not ready to fully retire, he worked for the U.S. Marshall’s Office before becoming the Director of Security for Warrensville Hts. City School District, where he retired after 10 years of service.

Alfred remained active in retirement.  He was a member of the Warrensville Hts. YMCA and enjoyed working out and socializing with his Y family.  He also enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He was an avid sports fan, always supporting his home teams . . . even the Browns.  One of the things he enjoyed the most was observing and spoiling the wildlife in his backyard always making sure they had food and tasty treats.

Alfred leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife of 70 years, Dorothy, daughters Lorraine Pennick Nash and Dianne Zellner Turnage; brother Matthew (Annie), sister Anne (Rev. Mark) Vale, sister Martha Smith (deceased), his longtime friend Curtis (Juanita) Watkins, grandchildren Brandon and Kameron Pennick, Theresia (Baron) Turner, and Teena (DeVonte) Orr, great-grandchildren Baron, Jr., Izaiah, Hailee, Autumn, Alyssa, Quintin, and Kendall, and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.