Marco Joseph Zaza

Marco was born in 1938 in Youngstown, Ohio, to Pasqualina and Gaetano Zaza, the fourth of five children.

A graduate of East High School, Marco lived in Youngstown most of his life, until 2003. He retired to North Carolina with his wife Marie, and spent the last two decades enjoying cooking, traveling, and community. He especially enjoyed the time he spent teaching bocce to special needs children.

He worked in retail sales and management for much of his career, then shifted to working for two decades as an auditor in the Ohio Auditor of State's office.

Marco built his life around his family. He married Marie LoBasso in 1962 in New York. They relocated to Ohio where they had two children, Stephanie Zaza and David Zaza. He remained close to his siblings and their families all his life. He enjoyed traveling and his journeys took him across the country and throughout Europe, including visits to his parents' hometown of Molfetta, Italy.

He was a lively and animated storyteller, who regaled his friends and family with tales from his childhood and stories his parents related to him. In 2021 he shared his stories publicly when, with his son, he created a podcast called Concettina Died and Other Stories of the East Side at https://www.concettinadied.com/

In addition to his wife and children, he leaves behind his son-in-law Joseph Armstrong, his brother and sister-in-law Jerry and Joyce Zaza, his niece Diane Vicarel, and many more cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends he considered extended family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his parents-in-law Mary and Corrado LoBasso, and his siblings Martha Vicarel, Palma Frank, and Nick Zaza.

Marco received loving care from the caregivers and staff at Spring Arbor Assisted Living and at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Hospice. Donations can be made to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare Foundation (lifecare.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate/) in lieu of flowers.

A private funeral was held in Wilmington on September 15, 2026.