Former big leaguer Zachary dies
by Chuck Cavalaris
Knoxville (TN) News-Sentinel
April 21, 2003

(c) Houston Astros

Former major league pitcher Chris Zachary of Knoxville has lost a courageous battle with cancer.

Zachary, who was 59, died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on Saturday. He began taking an experimental drug last Monday for a rare and extremely aggressive form of cancer in his bone marrow and complications developed Wednesday. He was hoping to get in remission so he could have a stem cell transplant.

Zachary - who graduated from Central High School in 1962 - was one of the first big-time pitching prospects in Knoxville. He made his professional debut with the expansion Houston Colt .45s in 1963 and also played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

While he rarely showed any emotion on the mound, Zachary was an imposing sight at 6-foot-2 and about 205 pounds. His fastball was imposing, too. He once described himself as being "a pretty decent 10th-man on a 10-man staff." He is a member of the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

Zachary is survived by his wife of 32 years, Judith, who shared his passion for a miniature horse farm in Strawberry Plains.

The family will announce when a memorial service will be held at Stevens Mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Huffaker Family Foundation, a nonprofit group in Knoxville for organ and bone marrow transplants.