Tom Lavezzi

Thomas I. Lavezzi passed away in Las Vegas Nevada on July 19, 2011. Born in Chicago on March 6, 1946, to Minerva Jane (Fleming) Lavezzi and Irvin Constantine Lavezzi, he sang for several years with the Paulist Choristers of Chicago and later with the New Colony Six. Mr. Lavezzi graduated from St. Patrick High School and attended Loyola University, both located in Chicago.

Together with his mother, stepfather Jack Blanke, and future wife Linda, Mr. Lavezzi was a founder of the Innomax Corporation of Denver, Colorado. He served the company as president and CEO, and after his retirement he served as a consultant to the firm he had helped create.

Mr. Lavezzi was known for his solid vision and business acumen, his sense of family, his quick wit, interest in world politics, and his enthusiastic acquisition of pets. Over the years, the menagerie included several cats, German Shepherds, a Neapolitan mastiff, and various mutts, as well as parrots, llamas, marine fish, and his latest acquisition, a sulcata tortoise named Mustang Sally.

Left fatherless at an early age, Mr. Lavezzi became the paternal head of a large extended family over the decades. He was originally married to the late Ellen (Ferrero) Newmark and later married his beloved life companion of forty years, the former Linda Schneller.

The surviving family also includes children Michael Lavezzi, Tess Lavezzi Light (Max), Dawn (Ellis) Freed, and John Ellis. Grandchildren include Nathan Stanley, Tyler Jones, Alyssa Freed, Dominic, Natalia, and Vincent Lavezzi, Milo and Griffin Light, and Jacob and Jackson Ellis.

His presence will be missed by his four children, much-loved grandchildren, many adoring nieces and nephews, sisters M. Jane Gallegos (John), Judith Lavezzi (Lew Grothe), brother William Lavezzi (Lynn), and many former employees who had become lifelong friends.

Within his large extended family, he was an active communicator and resource, an example of a man who showed up at every event over the years, and an occasionally painful debater of his strong opinions and philosophy. While imperfect, he was a good man, and his passing is being mourned by many.

In his final days, the family gathered in Las Vegas, where he had recently moved, to accept and honor his unexpected passing.

Memorial services for Mr. Lavezzi will follow; interested friends are invited to visit an online memorial located at www.DignityMemorial.com (search for "lavezzi") or www.tinyurl/TomLavezzi. The family requests that in lieu of flowers or donations friends honor Mr. Lavezzi's memory in their own manner and style.

Arrangements under the direction of Palm Cheyenne Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.