Joseph A. Saia, 75, of South Holland, IL (formerly of Lansing, IL) passed away on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.  He is survived by his children, Liz (Paul) Rotatori and Peter (Jessica) Saia; and his grandchildren Anthony Rotatori, Peter Rotatori, Joseph Saia, Robin Rotatori and Vincent Saia.  He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jennifer, parents Peter and Angeline Saia, and sister Sandy Munizzi.

Joseph was born and raised in the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago, IL, surrounded by a very large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, Godparents and grandparents who all lived within a few blocks of each other.  He graduated from De La Salle Institute; then earned dual bachelor degrees in music performance and education from the American Conservatory of Music. He made a career as a music teacher in Lansing for Sunnybrook School District 171 for 33 years, teaching band, choir and general music at Nathan Hale Elementary and Heritage Middle Schools.  He was an avid health fanatic and coached track for over 20 years.  A consummate professional, musician and dedicated family man, music was the foundation of the life he and Jennifer created.  He was a gifted artist known for drawing portraits of his students, writing silly poems as a way to cope with life and had a remarkable memory of the names of the thousands of students he taught, their siblings and families.  He was a musical genius who could play just about every instrument at a professional level.  The trumpet was his main focus and passion, and was hired hundreds of times a year for his musical skills; from writing and arranging music, to recording sessions and performances for every occasion under the sun.  A quote from his favorite trumpet player, Chet Baker, sums up how Joe perceived and lived his life…

"Music is the greatest form of communication. It speaks directly to the heart." - Chet Baker

A visitation service will be held on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 2-8pm at the Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home, 3227 Ridge Road, Lansing, IL.  Joseph will be laid to rest at Oak Hill Cemetery, Hammond, IN, with his beloved wife Jennifer.

In lieu of flowers, please direct any donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (michaeljfox.org).