Philip Malizio

Philip Malizio, age 71, a resident of Lake Villa, passed away Monday, May 11, 2020 at his home.  He was born July 11, 1948 in Evanston to Frank and Arline Malizio.  Philip was a member of the American Legion and Teamsters local 731.  A veteran of the U.S. Army, Philip was stationed in Panama from 1968-1970.  He was a simple man with simple needs.  He was content with little. Philip was also an avid sports memorabilia collector and a baseball fan. As a child, Gina came home with a pack of baseball cards and it sparked an obsession and love for baseball collectibles including cards and autograph baseballs.  Gina and Phil would then take trips to the multiplex the years the Bulls were in championship mode and they got players' autographs.  They were such regulars there that Phil Jackson had accosted Phil and asked him if he was selling this for a profit.  He was not and never did.  Philip drove a semi-truck for a living, hauling steel initially and then construction materials and made many lifelong friends in the process.  This is when and where he became a teamster.  He would occasionally take Gina and Pat's younger, Bryan, for rides.  They both had fun on "truck day." Later in life he drove a school bus and was a fan favorite of the kids.  After that, he became a patient driving instructor.  Not sure if it was the same when Gina was learning how to drive, whether she would have agreed with the term "patient," nevertheless.  Philip also enjoyed small road trips, a good diner breakfast with his brothers and good friends.  Later on after his disability made it more difficult for him to be mobile, he developed a love for nature.  He would sit out on the deck watching the different birds and squirrels.  He had a squirrel feeder out and even named the squirrels.  Philip is survived by his wife of 41 years, Patricia, whom he married in Glenview on March 17, 1979; daughter, Gina of Chicago; and brothers, Norman (Jana) Malizio of Mundelein and Lawrence Malizio of Libertyville.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Wayne.  A visitation will be held on Sunday, August 30, 2020 from 11:00am until 2:00pm followed by a memorial funeral service at 2:00pm at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, 410 East Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association or to the Veterans Association of America.  For more information, please call 847-223-8122 or log on to www.strangfuneral.org.