After the death of her husband, Leo Zakuta, Annette found that one way of living without him was to put together a memoir of Leo. He wanted to be cremated and did not want a gravestone, so she decided that a memorial book could be a place to visit instead.
Leo had written autobiographical essays as well as letters to the editor, eulogies and tributes to his friends and relatives. Along with eulogies that had been read at Leo’s memorial service and speeches read during the unveiling of a Leo Zakuta memorial plaque installed at the Rosedale Tennis Club, Annette compiled all of Leo’s material into a book. Since Leo kept everything (and she did too), the project, which at first seemed daunting, was both possible and worthwhile.