Michael Zanillo

Michael “Mike” Robert Zanillo of Kildeer, Illinois, passed away at home late Saturday afternoon, October 3rd, 2026, at age 72. The windows were open to the perfect autumn weather, and immediate family surrounded him.

Mike was born on July 3rd, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois, to his mother, Helen, and father, Louis. Part of a second-generation Polish-Italian family, he was the youngest brother to Kathy (Stas) Stock, Louis Zanillo, and Robert (Vicky) Zanillo, all of whom he cared about greatly. He spent most of his upbringing in the city, graduating from Weber High School in 1972 and the University of Chicago in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, while making lifelong friendships he deeply cherished.

He began a significant career in information technology at U.S. Steel before moving on to a long tenure at Motorola, where he met his wife of 35 years, Jeanne Ingram, and became a devoted husband. Soon after, Mike became the best dad to Megan (Garrett) Anderson and Jon Zanillo. Later in his career, Mike held notable titles at Rexnord and WMS Gaming before finishing at McDonald's as Senior Director of Global Financial Systems. Throughout this time, Mike became a beloved mentor and colleague to many.

In 2016, Mike proudly retired and swiftly took to a lifelong passion, protecting the environment, by volunteering his time with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. In addition to hosting several local presentations and making lobbying trips to Washington, D.C., Mike eagerly traded his well-loved travel trailer and traditional car for an electric vehicle and successfully campaigned for a town-wide petition to allow solar panels.

For 72 years, Mike loved listening to NPR, visiting local diners and dives, camping, golfing, cross-country skiing, traveling, tinkering with house projects, and playing with his “granddog,” Roo. He had the driest sense of humor, always offering playful banter or a sarcastic joke. However, what many will remember most about Mike is how he cared for those near and far. Whether researching, assisting, caring, or advocating, Mike always showed up to help others navigate life's hurdles.

For ten months, Mike took on glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, with courage and a desire to go “swinging for the fences” when it came to treatment. Losing such an intelligent man to this disease has been devastating to all who love him. He was a remarkable person who deserved so much more time.

Visitation will be Wednesday, October 7th, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Davenport Funeral Home in Lake Zurich. The funeral mass will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church on Thursday, October 8th, at 11 a.m., followed by interment at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to either the Northwestern Memorial Foundation (Malnati Brain Tumor Institute) at nm.org/mikezanillo or the National Park Foundation at tinyurl.com/mrz-np-2026.