Veronica "Ro" Gazzillo (nee Soper), who was an All-Star player and then an assistant coach for the Chicago Force, died unexpectedly Sunday, Aug. 10, at her home in Evanston. She was 39.
Gazzillo played for the Force in 2010 and was named an Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) All-Star and the 2010 Force Offensive MVP. She was unable to play after that season due to injuries, and joined the Force coaching staff for its 2013 national championship season.
Gazzillo is a former U.S. Army military police officer until she was given a Chapter 15 discharge for being lesbian. She was a union ironworker for 15 years, and was a 1993 graduate of Chicago's George Washington High School.
"Ro was an intense, powerful offensive lineman," said Force owner Linda Bache, who was teammates with Gazzillo. "She was a great teammate and an incredibly loyal friend.
"This is a devastating loss for the Force family. We all have so many wonderful and hilarious memories of Ro. She was witty, charismatic and fun-loving. It's difficult to imagine that she is gone."
She is survived by her wife, Tori Gazzillo. They married this past June while watching the annual Chicago Pride Parade near the corner of Addison and Halsted streets. Bethany Minor performed the service.
Kim Marks, a seven-year standout for the Force, said that Gazzillo was "one of the most loyal people I have ever met."
Marks added, "I always knew that, no matter what I was going through, she would be there for me. Whether it was to help pick me up after a Force loss, or coming to my house on very short notice to help me move a treadmill. I knew she'd be there. It saddens me to know that she didn't know that I would have done the same for her. I pray that she is able to find the peace that she was so desperately searching for."
Tami Engelman, an offensive lineman for the Force, said Gazzillo was "such an amazing person."
"She was a mama bear, always so protective of those she called family," Engelman said. "She was that friend [who] was always there whenever you needed her. She was my Roey and I was her Tamo. She was one of a kind and no one can ever fill that void she is going to leave in so many of our hearts. She was special. May her legacy always live on in all of us."
Darcy Leslie, a four-time Force Defensive MVP, added: "My heart is heavy as my teammates and I mourn the loss of our sister. Ro was a wonderful person with a huge heart. She would do anything for the people she loved, and [she] cared deeply about the Force family. Words can't express how much we will miss her and that smile."
Force running back Brandy Hatcher described Gazzillo as "magnetic and hilarious." Hatcher said Gazzillo was one of the first people she met in Chicago, "and was loyal to me every day since."
Jessica Andrasko, who formerly played for the Force, was close friends with Gazzillo, and labeled her "an incredible teammate and friend."
"She was always there for anyone she knew and would have done anything for anyone," Andrasko said. "It is a true tragedy for the loss of such a wonderful person. There are so many people in the world, myself included, [who] wished we could have the chance to tell her how much we loved her and cared for her and would have done anything for her. The Force family, teammates from the many teams she played on, friends, family and her wife Tori will be left with questions and the heartache of why and how someone that always had a smile on [her] face this could happen. Ro will be missed by many and always loved; there are many hearts in this world that have a huge hole in them with the loss of her."
The news of Gazzillo's passing led to countless emotional messages via social media. Former Force teammate Kristen Mertens, for instance, wrote on Facebook: "Ro's personality lit up a room. She was always so fun to be around. Always helping others. Always giving me a hard time. Her laugh always made me smile. It's a devastating loss to so many."
Former teammate Amber Burns described Gazzillo on Facebook as "supportive, caring and willing to help others. Burns added, as if talking to her, "You always knew how and what to say to others to make good of any situation. This is all so unreal to me; we will never know why. You will be missed by all. Thanks for all the love and support throughout the years."
Former Force public relations director George Howe tagged Gazzillo as a "sweet woman."
Gazzillo has a son, Jason, and a daughter, Courtney. She told Windy City Times in 2010, "Being a tackle football Mom is rewarding, yet very stressful. Rewarding as my kids are the first to boost my ego to their peers by telling them there Mom is a tackle football player for the Chicago Force. Stressful as playing for the team is very demanding of your time. We practice late hours and have away games."
Gazzillo was raised on Chicago's South Side, but had been living on the North Side. She played basketball, softball and volleyball throughout high school—and played all three sports in local recreation leagues.
Gazzillo's cousin, Jamie Menzyk, is a perennial All-Star for the Force.
"There were mixed reactions from my family and friends when I decided to join the Force. The main reaction was 'Wow, but aren't you too old to play?'" she said in 2010. "Some friends think I'm crazy, but I just tell them, 'You never have played a team sport and have such a bond with a group of women like I do with the Force.'"
Gazzillo said in the 2010 interview that, when she was in the Army, another female in her platoon found out that she was gay and told the commanding officer. "When I was approached by my commanding officer on the allegations, I did not deny them. I am gay and I'm not ashamed of it. I was a stellar soldier and an expert on weapons. I also was top in all my classes, physical training and overall combat military skills. I figured being gay was not going to affect my ability to serve and protect my country. I was wrong.
"After three months of being treated like scum and being interrogated on who else was gay in our unit, they finally discharged me, [but] without me giving up any of my fellow brothers or sisters.
Force head coach John Konecki said in 2010, "If I'm ever in a bar fight, I want Gazzillo on my side."
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, August 19 at St. Chrysostom's Episcopal Church (1424 N. Dearborn Parkway) in Chicago, starting at 11 a.m.
A fundraiser has been created to help with funeral costs and other end of life financial obligations. To donate, go to:
www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/dtd5/in-loving-memory-of-veronica-gazzillo-ro-soper- .
