Henry ‘Hank’ Lazzaro, 77, a twenty-seven year resident of Harwood, MD, and previous resident of Wadsworth, IL, passed away peacefully in his home on May 7, 2024.
Born on April 2, 1947, to the late Henry and Helen, Henry earned his Juris Doctorate Law from the University of Illinois and later attended the Naval War College for a M.A. in Military Strategic Studies. Hank proudly served his country, first as a U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant in the Vietnam War, then as a Naval Officer, ultimately retiring as a Captain in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps after a career spanning 43 years.
Henry’s life was marked by his dedication and hard work, and upon retirement from the Navy and his position as an Administrative Judge for the Department of Defense, he sought to give of himself: volunteering weekly at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall; at the USNA Military Museum; and sailing with Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating. He was a former Cook County Assistant States Attorney, Grand Knight of Annapolis Council 8251 and member of the Annapolis Lodge of the Sons and Daughters of Italy. His love of golf led him to volunteer at tournaments worldwide, including over 20 years at the Players Championships, and several Ryder Cups and Open Championships.
In addition to his parents, Henry was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn (Lazzaro) Patruno and Jeannette (Lazzaro) Bratanch; and a brother, Robert Lazzaro.
Henry is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 37 years, Carol; six married children; Henry & Theresa Lazzaro, Gina (Lazzaro) & Armando Regalado, Stephen & Ashley Brzykcy, Weston & Christina Brzykcy, Andrea & Megan Lazzaro, and Jeannette (Lazzaro) & John Keith; ten grandchildren; Henry, Francesca; Amelia, Armando Jr., Dominic, Lumina, Ignatius, Penelope; Grace, and James; and his sister, Lillian (Lazzaro) & Leonard Zambetta.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Henry’s life on Sunday, May 19, 2024, from 3 until 8 pm at Gibbons Funeral Home, 134 S. York St., Elmhurst, IL. with a service on Monday, May 20 at 10 am at St. Walter Catholic Church, 130 W. Pine Ave, Roselle, IL. The interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, found at www.vvmf.org