Layna Portugal

Beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, Layna Jean Portugal, devoted wife of the late Buddy Portugal, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 28. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Grant Dixon (“Dick”) and Mary (Minetti), and her sister, Sally McDonald.

She is survived by her children, Grant Szabo (Susan Szabo) and Emily Portugal (Becky Payne). Layna was a deeply loving grandmother to Andrew, Maggie, Patrick, and Matthew Szabo, and Luca Malone Payne, each of whom brought her immense pride and joy. She was also an aunt to Renee Moore (McDonald) and Gina Steinman (McDonald). Family was the center of Layna’s world, and the love and care she poured into those closest to her will live on in their hearts and stories.

Born in Davenport, Iowa, Layna was the daughter of Italian and German immigrants. She attended West High School and spent many years nurturing her love of the outdoors and mentorship, first as a Girl Scout and later as a camp counselor, before going on to study French at the University of Iowa. She later earned a master’s degree in social work and spent many years supporting others through her work at the Response Center in Skokie.

Layna’s creative spirit was boundless. For more than 30 years, she poured her energy into pottery, crafting everything from mugs and dishes to piggy banks, and later, her signature “holy cows,” a joyful tribute to her beloved hometown Chicago Cubs. She shared a studio space in Chicago with the same group of potters for many years, continually evolving her work and eventually creating teapots and sculptures she called her “Earth Speaks” series. Over the decades, her pieces were exhibited in stores and art shows across the country. Layna expressed her creativity through many mediums, including calligraphy, painting, and photography, drawing inspiration from the beauty she saw in the world and giving it form through her work.

She spoke both French and Italian and nurtured a deep fascination with her family’s ancestry, even rescuing a treasured handwritten Italian-language history of the Spanish-American War, written by her grandfather George Minetti, from a house fire — a work that is now preserved at the Center for Migration Studies of New York.

She had a deep love of nature and cherished every moment spent with her family. She loved animals, especially dogs, which seemed to find their way into her lap wherever she was. For many years, she hosted Thanksgiving, delighting loved ones with her tradition of writing humorous “turkey notes” that filled the table with laughter. Kindness was one of Layna’s guiding values, and she dedicated significant time to volunteering, from delivering Christmas day meals with Little Brothers for the Elderly to teaching English as a second language in evening classes at Evanston Township High School and Centro Romero in Edgewater.

Layna will be remembered for the many thoughtful ways she showed her love. Her visits were always special occasions, filled with games, walks, and carefully chosen gifts that made everyone feel seen and special. These traditions, and the deep sense of connection she cultivated, will continue as part of her lasting legacy. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.