Mario A. Pasin, 95, died peacefully on Aug. 18, 2025. Born on Feb. 6, 1930, in Oak Park, he was the son of Antonio and Anna Pasin, both originally from Italy. From an early age, he experienced life both in the United States and in Italy, where he spent frequent childhood summers. Those trips gave him a deep appreciation for history, design, culture, and the natural world. He carried those sensibilities with him.
He completed a combined undergraduate and law degree at the University of Notre Dame. The years he spent there were among his happiest, remembered for its freedom, friendships, and growth.
He met Mary Kay, the love of his life, and they married in 1959. They shared 66 years of marriage. He was proud of his role as a father of five, grandfather to nine, and great-grandfather to one.
Mario led Radio Flyer, maker of the iconic red wagons for kids, the company founded by his father, from the 1960s into the 1990s. He stewarded the family business, treating everyone the same regardless of rank or status. He believed deeply in quality, not just as a business principle but as a way of life.
He cherished time in nature, transforming the family farm in Wisconsin from a working dairy into a restored natural sanctuary, planting thousands of trees and rejuvenating the land and lake. The farm was his favorite place. In later years, he also enjoyed time in Florida, where he walked, swam, gardened, and chaperoned his grandchildren on trips to the ice cream shop.
He will be remembered for his patience, generosity, humility, and devotion to his family and community. He leaves behind a legacy of timeless values.
Mario was the husband of Mary Kay (née Berigan); the father of Mark (Mary Margaret), Therese (David) Brandenstein, Antonio, Paul (Jane), & Robert (Muriel Quinn); grandfather of Paul (Jenny), Mary (Kassi), & Miles Brandenstein, Helen, Henry, Oscar, & Linus Quinn Pasin, and Augustine (Moe) & Joy Pasin; great-grandfather of June; and brother of the late Mary Ann (the late Steve) Contro & Jeanette Pasin Sloan (Jack Lemon).
Visitation, followed by Mass, took place on Aug. 23 at St. Francis Xavier Church, 124 N. Spring Ave., LaGrange, with interment at Bronswood Cemetery, Oak Brook. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Mario’s name to UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity are appreciated.
Arrangements were handled by Hallowell & James Funeral Home, Countryside.
