Salvatore Lazzara

Salvatore Lazzara was the kind of man whose presence was impossible to ignore. He could be quiet, but when he spoke, people listened. On July 29, 2026, Sal passed away at the age of 73, leaving an immeasurable void in the lives of the family he lived for.

Sal's story began in Chicago on February 21, 1953, but much of his childhood was spent in Altavilla Milicia, a small town near Palermo, Sicily. When he returned to Chicago as a teenager, he brought with him the grit of a kid who never backed down, an unwavering devotion to friends and family, and an easygoing nature that allowed him to make friends wherever he went.

He found his stride as a Produce Manager at Dominick's grocery store, where he met the love of his life. After Susan mistakenly approached him one day, Sal turned to his friend, straightened his name tag, and declared, "I'm going to marry that girl." He chased her down right there in the store, won her heart, and kept his word. They married and built the biggest family Susan would let him get away with—a family that became the center of his world.

Nothing meant more to Sal than his family and friends. He was never happier than when everyone was together. Watching his family grow was his greatest joy and his proudest accomplishment. His stories will be retold, the nicknames will live on, and his laughter will echo around family tables for generations. While his chair may now sit empty, his presence never will fade.

Sal is survived by his beloved wife, Susan Jo Lazzara; his sister, Angela Giannini (Al); his three sons, Tom (Dru), Casey, and Dan; his nine grandchildren, Alex, Reagan, Zach, Hannah, Kennedy, Makinley, Emersyn, Adelynn, and Danny; and his great-grandson, Easton.


Visitation will be held on Monday, August 3, 2026 from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. at Countryside Funeral Homes & Crematory, 333 S. Roselle Rd., Roselle, IL 60172. Funeral services will begin on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at the funeral home with a short prayer at 9:15 A.M. followed by a procession to St. Walter Catholic Church, 130 W. Pine Ave., Roselle, IL 60172, for a 10:00 A.M. Mass. Interment will follow at All Saints Catholic Cemetery in Des Plaines.