Thomas John Lyons

Thomas (Tom) John Lyons, age 72, of Barrington, Illinois, died on May 2, 2026, surrounded by his family. 

He was born on December 30, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois to James Edward Lyons and Kathryn Lauretta Cooney Lyons. 

He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Elizabeth Scott Lyons; his daughter, Sarah Lyons (Ananda Sawmynaden); his brother, James Lyons (Dr. Margaret Barron) of Milwaukee, WI; his sisters, Janet Rice (Paul) of Brookfield, WI and Lauretta Lyons of Elm Grove, WI; his nieces, nephews and cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his parents. Tom was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, godfather and friend, known for his kindness, intelligence, steady leadership, and quiet sense of humor.

Tom grew up in River Forest, Illinois where he attended St. Luke Catholic School and Fenwick High School. He was a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he made life-long friends. He earned his MBA from Rutgers University before building a distinguished career with Abbott Laboratories. Tom started with Abbott’s international auditing team and later served in various financial and leadership roles in the United States and abroad. His work took Tom and family to England, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Italy. After 34 years, Tom retired in 2013 as Division Vice President Corporate Finance, Abbott Transition Organization.

An avid golfer and tennis player, Tom was known for his competitive nature, drive to win and dedication to Notre Dame athletics. Tom loved international travel with his wife Liz. In his retirement, they visited Guatemala on volunteer missions to build homes, explored the Galapagos Islands, golfed in Cabo San Lucas and road tripped through France, Portugal and Spain. Most recently, Tom and Liz motored through Norway and Iceland, taking in the waterfalls and fjords. Tom was a dedicated volunteer with Feed My Starving Children and a generous donor to many charitable organizations. He enjoyed going to rock concerts with his daughter Sarah and was an excellent “grand-paw” to Rosie the pitbull.

Visitation will be Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 149 W. Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010.

Funeral Mass will be Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church, 120 Ela St, Barrington, IL 60010.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia Research Foundation or to Feed My Starving Children.