Lisa Marie Fiorello

Lisa Marie Fiorello passed away on January 13, 2025, with family at her side at St. Vincent hospital in Portland, Oregon.

Lisa was born on July 13, 1980 in Rockford, Illinois to Frank and Susan Fiorello. She leaves behind her partner of twelve years, Jacob Thornell; her mother, Susan Fiorello of Las Vegas NV; her sister, Cara Sweet (Christopher) of Lexington, Illinois; and nephew and niece, Jonah and Lorien Sweet of Lexington, Illinois, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins. And of course, her beloved dog, Mito, who misses her terribly.

Lisa graduated from Belvidere High School in 1998, where she participated in swimming and track. She had a uniquely creative mind, and loved working with her hands. In high school, she was a member of an award-winning team at the Illinois Snow Sculpting competition. After high school, she attended Rock Valley College and in 2003, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. There, she attended the Art Institute of Las Vegas, and spent much of her time pursuing hands-on creative endeavors. She was a member of the Stagecrafters Union and worked for Rhino Staging for several years, and then on set design and carpentry for the show Love at MGM. She was also skilled at event lighting and sound systems and ran the house lights for MGM Grand Garden Arena at countless concerts, festivals, and events such as the Grammys, Latin Grammys, the Country Music Awards, and the Billboard Music Awards. One of her favorite experiences was working on costumes for Cher’s residency in Las Vegas. In 2020, she moved to Portland, Oregon with her partner Jacob where she worked as a photographer, and as an exhibit preparator at the Oregon Historical Society.

In her free time, she loved to sketch and paint and had recently entered some of her artwork into an art show as a student of Portland Community College.

Lisa was a kind and gentle soul who lived her life with integrity and expected the same of the people around her. She was empathetic and insightful, with a talent for sizing people up almost instantly. Although she may have seemed shy at times, Lisa was steadfast and emphatic about her core values, and was not afraid to stand up for her beliefs. Lisa will be deeply missed by all who loved her.

Lisa is predeceased by her father, Frank Fiorello; uncles, John and Jimmy Fiorello; Grandmother, Shirley Phillips; Grandparents, Clarence and Patricia Phillips; grandparents, Vincent and Lillian Fiorello; and grandfather, William Swassing.

Both Lisa and her father Frank will be honored at a Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 2:00-6:00 pm at The Venetian Club, 2180 Elmwood Rd, Rockford, IL 61103.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that any donations be made to the Lisa Fiorello Scholarship Fund through gofundme.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-lisa-fiorello-arts-scholarship-fund

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