Michael George Sanfilippo
May 11, 1929 – April 20, 2020
Michael George Sanfilippo, 90, of Berthoud, Colo., passed away early Monday, April 20, 2020. He was born May 11, 1929, in Joliet, Ill., the fourth child of the late Vitale and Mary Sasso Sanfilippo. Mike graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1947 and University of Colorado (Boulder) in 1953 with a BA in Business. While in college in Boulder he met and eventually married Mary Ann Cox from Lombard, Ill., who was attending Loretta Heights College in Denver.
Surviving are his wife Mary Ann Sanfilippo married 61 years, six children: Anne Yanez of Loveland, Joe Sanfilippo of Berthoud, Susan (Kent) Hettinga of Los Alamos, N.M., Jim (Jennifer Lee) Sanfilippo of Altadena, Calif., John (Mary Goll) Sanfilippo of Loveland, and Mike T. Sanfilippo of Loveland. Eight grandchildren: Sabin, Daniel and Damian Yanez of Loveland, Wakei and Abera Hettinga of Los Alamos, N.M., Lillian Sanfilippo of Altadena, Calif., and Micah and Mason Sanfilippo of Loveland. Also living are niece Georgiana (Chris) Siehl of Ann Arbor, Mich., and nephew Gerard (Judi) Pacini of Crossville, Tenn., Linda Sanfilippo of Romeoville, Ill., wife of deceased nephew Bob Sanfilippo. There are several great and great-great nephews and nieces. He is also survived by numerous family members on the Cox side.
In high school, Mike was known for leading the charge to get Joliet Stadium built. He was known as Stadium Sam. In 2002 a mural in downtown Joliet was unveiled depicting Mike riding around on his scooter gathering support to build a stadium. In college, he was involved with the Neumann Center on CU’s Boulder campus. Mike was an auctioneer and small businessman starting several businesses in Joliet, Ill., Boulder, Fort Collins, and Berthoud, including “Pizza Box” Delicatessen, Valley View Liquor and Save a Lot Furniture. He was well known for his frequent letters to the editor in the local Berthoud Weekly Surveyor newspaper.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Virginia Pacini, her husband George Pacini, two of their children Johanna Stworzjanek, and Maryanna Williams all formerly of Joliet, Ill.; brother Peter Sanfilippo, brother Joe Sanfilippo, his wife Jane Wozniak their two sons, nephews Wayne and Bob Sanfilippo of Romeoville, Ill.
Visitation, rosary, and funeral mass tentatively slated for mid-June at St. John the Evangelist Church, Loveland, Colo., pending a lift of bans on large gatherings, with internment at Sacred Heart of Mary, in Boulder, Colo.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1515 Hilltop Dr., Loveland, CO 80537.
Please sign the online guestbook at www.allnuttloveland.com and look for updates in the schedule.
