Obituaries

Dr. Michael C. Illuzzi, Jr., a well-respected educator, historian and humanitarian, passed away peacefully on Friday morning, September 26, 2025. He was 70 years old. Born in New Brunswick, N.J., on August 4, 1955, Michael was the son of the late Michael D. and Virginia (Chambers) Illuzzi of Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. A 1973 graduate of Middlesex High School, Middlesex Boro, New Jersey, “Home of the Blue Jays”, where he was both class president and prom king, he would go on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and be named to The Phi Beta Kappa Society.  He was an active member within the Chi Psi Fraternity, Alpha Rho Chapter, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Michael earned double master’s degrees from Rutgers before earning his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Although esteemed and accomplished in academia, Michael’s resume far spanned beyond the classroom. An administrator at Rutgers as well as Executive Director of the Chi Psi Fraternity in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Trustee, Vice President and President of the Alpha Rho Alumni Association, a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG)/AFTRA. He was the former director of the Scranton Everhart Museum, an enthusiastic sports fan of the Rutgers, Scarlet Knights football, the N.Y. Giants football and N.Y. Yankees baseball. 

A career educator, he retired using his expertise to assist individuals with the college admissions process, public speaking and acting. He leaves behind not only a legacy of wisdom and kindness, but also a family he cherished and a world that spoke only well of the life he lived. 

Survived by his beloved sister, Martha Rose Illuzzi Jenkins of Pennsburg; her partner, Stephen M Fritz, his two aunts, Raffeala Squier of Bound Brook, New Jersey, Rose Marie Laster of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania and loving cousins, extended family, fraternity brothers, and friends. A celebration of life scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025, with blessing services at 11:00 AM at the Kevin K. Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton. Burial will follow at Shoemaker Cemetery in Dalton, Pennsylvania. Family and friends may pay their respects on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 4-7:00 PM and Saturday October 4, 2025 10-11am at the funeral home. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Michael’s name to the Chi Psi Educational Trust for the Alpha Rho, dedicated to “Alpha Rho ’77.”