John Zannini

Dr. John Joseph Zannini

Dr. John Joseph Zannini died peacefully on August 13th at Southminster in Charlotte, NC after a gradual decline in health.  He was 96 years old.

A long time resident of Lake Forest, IL, Dr. Zannini moved to Charlotte in 2010 to be near his family. Born August 22, 1917 in Chicago, son of Louis Dominic Zannini and Clementina Maria Pardi, he was a graduate of Chicago’s St. Mel’s Grammar and High Schools, earned a degree in chemistry from Loyola University of Chicago in 1939 and his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1944.  He did his internship at Grant Hospital, Chicago and it was there that he met his wife of 44 years, Frances Sheridan LaDuke.  They were married from June, 1946 until her death in 1990.

He served as a Captain in the Army Medical Corps, first at Fitzsimmons General Army Hospital in Denver and later with the 82^nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.  After leaving the Army in 1948, he began his medical practice in Internal Medicine in Waukegan and Lake Forest, IL, where he practiced until 1988.  He served as an instructor in cardiology at Loyola Medical School, was president of the Lake County Chapter of the American Heart Association, and was a member of the Lake County Medical Society and the Illinois State Medical Association.  He was the first chairman of the Lake Forest Hospital Department of Medicine and was on the staff of many other Lake County hospitals.  He was board certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.  He loved being a doctor and was beloved by his patients.  When he retired after 44 years of practice, he enjoyed spending more time on his other interests including golf, fly fishing, painting and the study of all types of art.  He was also an avid reader. 

In addition to his dedication to the practice of medicine, Dr. Zannini was a beloved father and grandfather who never tired of listening and offering support and advice to his family and friends.  He was an unflagging optimist and a gentleman. Most important, an integral part of his life and character for which he will be remembered was his strong faith.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Frances, daughter, Susan Zannini Abell and brother Eugene Zannini.  He is survived his sister Mary Ferry and her husband Lawrence of Waukegan, IL, by his children, Nancy Zannini and her husband Chris Roberts and their daughter Madeleine of New York City and Sharon, CT,  Mary Claire Wall and her husband Dan of Charlotte, NC and their children Clementine, Olivia and Nicholas, and John L. Zannini and his wife Eileen of New Canaan, CT and their children Zachary, Sophia and Annabella,  son-in-law Tony Abell of Bethesda, MD and granddaughter Jessica Abell of New York City, and numerous nieces and nephews.  

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, Lake Forest, IL, the Southminster Employee Assistance Fund, or Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte.  

The family is very grateful to the staffs of Southminster and Hospice and to Carmen Roderiguez, for their kindness and care during Dr. Zannini’s last years. 

A memorial service will take place at the Chapel at Southminster on Monday at 11:00.  In addition, there will be a Mass of Christian Burial at the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest, IL on Saturday, August 23.