Joseph Maurizi
44 years old
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Chicago, Illinois native, Joseph Maurizi, 44, was a great man who loved his family more than life itself. He did everything he ever could for his two daughters, Ashley, (age 16) and Brianna, (age 14). His girls were his whole life, and he worked very hard to give them anything they ever needed. Despite his tough Italian exterior, deep down he was a true softy who kept souvenirs like movie tickets from the shows he saw with his daughters. He even saved Happy Meal toys from their trips to McDonalds. On Christmas, Joey watched "It's a Wonderful Life" because "it teaches you stuff," and he visited his mother and aunt's gravesites whenever he had a chance. Joey had big dreams and big plans. After high school, he joined the Army. He was a hard working guy, who always wanted to drive a truck. After he was honorably discharged from the military, he returned to Chicago to become a truck driver. He loved motorcycles and every time he spoke with his cousins he talked about some day buying a motorcycle and visiting them in California. The constant protector, he always watched over his family, even though they were miles apart. Joey worked hard each day often struggling to make a good life for himself and his daughters. In May, 2005, Joey's car had broken down, so he rode his bike to and from work hoping to save enough money to buy a new car. On May 10, 2005, around 10:45 p.m., Joey was riding a bicycle home from work when he was cruelly struck by a car and thrown from his bicycle. The driver fled the scene without even stopping to see if Joey was alright. A passerby called 911 and Joey was pronounced dead at the hospital. The police have no leads, and no one has been brought to justice. Joey is survived by his two daughters, Ashley and Brianna Maurizi. his younger sister, Lisa Lee, her husband, Mitch, their children, Lisa Michelle, Christopher, Anthony, Angela, Catherine, and Grace Mary, his older sister, Laura Maurizi. his cousin Mary Przeklasa, her husband, Tim, Joey's godfather, and their daughters, Kristen and Melissa Przeklasa, and Melissa's husband, Jonathan, and Joey's cousin, Angie Narel, her husband, Len, and their children, Kimberly and David, and his Aunt Catherine Mikkelsen..
We little knew that morning, that God
“Justice for Joe” More than two months after a man was fatally struck by a car, his family is still looking for answers. Joseph Maurizi, 44, a Cicero and former Berwyn resident, was killed by a hit-and-run driver at about 10:45 p.m. May 10. Maurizi was riding his bicycle north across the Central Avenue Bridge in Stickney when he was stuck by a car. Rescue workers tried to revive Maurizi, but he was pronounced dead at an area hospital. "They were still trying to revive him on the way, but they were never able to," said Tina Maurizi, his ex-wife. Maurizi was returning home from working as a truck driver at Chicago Suburban Trucking, a trucking firm near 47th Street and Central Avenue, she said. "He did drive a truck for a living. He drove a truck for the last 15 or so years," she said. He was riding a bicycle because he was saving money for a new car, Tina Maurizi said. "His car had broke down, so he was saving to purchase another one and he did not live far from work," she said. Police said at the time that it appeared Maurizi was hit from behind. "There was damage to the rear of the bike and maybe a little to the side, but nothing to the front," his sister, Lisa Lee said. Stickney police are still investigating the case and would not comment, Stickney Police Chief John Zitek said. "The investigation is still going on. We are also waiting for things back from the state police lab," Zitek said. "I feel very bad for the family." Police still do not have any witnesses for the case, he said. There is "no license plate, no description of the car and no witnesses," Zitek said. Tina Maurizi said she is familiar with the area and is surprised no one was in the area during the time of accident. "It is not like it was 2 in the morning," she said. "That is what was really surprising to us that no one stopped and no one saw anything because it was relatively early." Although Maurizi had been riding a bicycle while saving up for another car, he did enjoy bikes -- albeit usually ones with motors. "He enjoyed motorcycles," Tina Maurizi said. "His daughters actually decided to have him buried in his motorcycle jacket." Maurizi also liked weightlifting and all of his free time he spent with the girls, Tina Maurizi said, referring to his two daughters, Ashley, 15, and Brianna, 14. The death has been particularly hard for his daughters. "It has been the hardest thing that I have ever had to endure in my entire life, I mean just trying to help them. It is very hard," Tina Maurizi said. "There is not a whole lot available for support for teens who have lost a parent." Maurizi, a graduate of Morton West High School in Berwyn, also was survived by his sisters Laura and Lisa Lee and other family members and friends. His death has been hard for the entire family. "We were a very close family," Lee said. Lee, Maurizi's "baby" sister, said her brother always seemed happy. "I really cannot think of the guy with a frown on his face. He was a cheerful, light-hearted guy. He would have done anything for you," Lee said. Joseph Maurizi would especially do anything for his two daughters, she said. "He totally lived for his girls," Lee said. "He got them everything they needed, and he talked to them every single day." His daughters, and the rest of his family, are still hoping someone will come forward with information on Maurizi's death. On July 10, two months after the accident, Tina Maurizi took out a personal advertisement. "We are asking that anyone with info please come forward & help us get Justice for Joe," part of the ad reads. Tina Maurizi said she placed the ad "for my kids, just to try to find out what happened and to get some closure with this," she said. Anyone with information should call the Stickney Police Department at (708) 788-2131. Memorial submitted by cousin Kristen |
