Ara Matthew Zusky

Ara Matthew Zusky died on March 3, 2024, after a long struggle with addiction. He was 40 years old.

On September 17, 1983, Ara surprised his parents, Margaret and Paul, by arriving a month ahead of schedule, and he kept everyone on their toes from that day forward. From a 5 lb 5 oz, premature baby, Ara evolved into a "larger than life" person, from beginning to end. He perplexed his pre-school teachers with his rebellious aversion to apple juice; he shocked and amused friends with his audacious sense of humor; and he charmed and entertained his end-of-life care nurses with references to movies (ET) and music (from Van Morrison to Bob Marley). Ara was never a follower. Invariably, he was inclined to walk his own path.

Ara spent his first 18 years in Wellesley, Massachusetts, exploring the woods near Upham School and in Boulder Brook. Even as an adult, he loved "freestyle walking" and developed a method of throwing himself at deadstand trees to perform spontaneous acts of trail maintenance. Ara discovered heavy metal music as a very young person and cultivated a lifelong adoration of the genre; though he eventually grew out of the style, he spent at least five years of elementary and middle school exclusively wearing metal band t-shirts. Throughout his life, he read voraciously about his favorite musicians and their albums and lives; he kept up-to-date about Boston news and Wellesley gossip (always "Mr. Call-Waiting"); he listened to every Mark Maron podcast; and he shared details about his many passions with encyclopedic precision. In many ways, Ara's personality and interests were consistent throughout his life.

Ara graduated from Wellesley High School in 2002 and was a recruited heavyweight crew athlete at Syracuse University. After graduating from Syracuse, Ara lived in Boston and worked in digital marketing. Later, he lived in Los Angeles and worked in physical production in the television and film industry for several years.

Ara was creative, eccentric, irreverent, and generous. His sustained friendships and relationships defined him. Though he seemed to gravitate towards friends whose names were "Mike," he nurtured loyal and dynamic friendships with people from every phase of his life. He was an active member of the recovery community and worked hard to support others in facing their addiction. His connection with his sisters was paramount: Ara, Clarice, and Cat always danced, adventured, and laughed together as a party of three.

With joy and endless patience, Ara embraced his role as an uncle. His four nephews each saw him as a best friend and confidant. Always "Uncle Bink," Ara was indelibly transformed by uncling just as he shaped those whom he uncled. As long as he was greeted with a hot cup of coffee in the morning, Uncle Bink was ready to share the wonder of sports and to celebrate the beauty of the natural world; he was energized to spend hours in the pool and to extend the day with a "nightwalk"; his natural abilities as a teacher, mentor, and hero were on display in every moment he spent with his nephews, all of whom idolized and adored him. Because of Ara, Charlie, Lucas, Marcus and Hank will be "yes" people, adventure seekers, and storytellers.

Ara is survived by his parents, Margaret and Paul Zusky of Wellesley; his sisters, Cat and Clarice Zusky, and their husbands Eric Hogenson and Steve Elmer, respectively; his nephews, Charlie and Marcus Hogenson and Lucas and Hank Elmer; and by many, many friends.

For all who knew and still love Ara, a celebration of his life will be held to honor him on June 22, 2024. A service will be held at 11 am at St. Andrew's Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts. At 3 pm, all are welcome to meet at Upham School for a walk to Boulder Brook to spend time beneath the trees Ara loved. Please reach out to Cat or Clarice with any questions.

Instead of flowers, please consider donating to the Ara M. Zusky Scholarship to support students in the Chemical Dependency Counseling program at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana. Donate online at SKC (https://advancement.skc.edu/donate-here/), and indicate "Ara M. Zusky Scholarship" in the comments. Or send a check (payable to SKC Advancement) to SKC Advancement, PO Box 70, Pablo, MT 59855, and indicate "Ara M. Zusky" on the check.

It is the hope of Ara's family to sustain those who commit their lives to guiding and supporting people in recovery from addiction.