The Howell theater community is mourning the loss of Alexa Zielkowski, 16, who died May 22 of an accidental drowning.
She had just appeared onstage as Louisa in the Community Theatre of Howell’s production of “Sound of Music,” which wrapped up on May 21.
The Howell teen began her love affair with theater in 2014, when she was just 8 years old: “My sister (Lena) got the CTH theater bug first, and I joined her soon after,” Alexa said in a story about her role in the 2020 CTH production of “Wait Until Dark.” “But (I) mostly did things backstage until I was in ‘Dinosaurs Before Dark’ in the spring of 2017.”
While she participated in productions in a variety of roles, Alexa said her main passion was “being on stage.”
The Livingston Post featured Alexa in several theater stories. You can click here to read them all.
Alexa said that while she liked to “bounce around” to participate in various productions — including “The Wizard of Oz” at Howell High School, “Matilda” with the Hartland Players, and “School House Rock Live” in Pinckney — her home was with the Community Theatre of Howell.
“I love so many things about being involved with CTH, but the one I value the most is probably the people involved,” she said. “The CTH family is one of the most welcoming, loving groups I have ever been a part of. I always have a whole lot of fun being a part of any type of performance at CTH and I believe that this theater has helped me grow a lot as an actor and as a person.”
A junior at Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy, Alexa was also the president of CTH’s Youth Leadership Council.
Alexa is survived by her father, Robert; mother, Cheryl; older sister, Lena; paternal grandparents, Joseph and Sonja Zielkowski; maternal grandparents, Fred (Jan) Schott (Westrick) and Roberta Schott; her Aunt, Natalie (Jose) Escandone and cousins Jose, Jr., Edward, and Nadia; Aunt, Lisa Schott; several additional cousins and numerous friends. She was preceded in death by her uncle, Joseph Zielkowski, Jr.
Visitation is 1-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at Macdonald’s Chapel, 315 N. Michigan Ave. in Howell, immediately followed by a Memorial Service at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Community Theatre of Howell.
You can read her obituary here.
