Walter Parazaider has died. The musician, who was best known as a founding member of Chicago, died on June 17, his wife, JacLynn, told TMZ. He was 81.
Parazaider died while in hospice amid his battle with Alzheimer’s. Doctors diagnosed with the disease six years ago, his wife said.
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“He had put up a good fight with Alzheimer’s and unfortunately it ended tonight. We are going to miss him for sure,” she told the outlet. “We were married for 59 years and we had 59 wonderful years.”
Parazaider’s loved ones will hold a memorial at a later date, the outlet reported.
Parazaider is survived by his wife, JacLynn, and their daughters, Laura and Felicia, per the outlet.
Felicia paid tribute to her dad in a Facebook post, in which she called him her “hero.”
“There’s no more pain. No more struggle,” she wrote, before thanking her dad’s friends and fans for their support.
“Thank you for loving my father, even if you didn’t personally know him. I know that many of you loved him,” she wrote. “I’m in shock and disbelief and yet not at all. This was the worst six years. The hardest season of my life. And I’m so grateful that my dad is not suffering anymore.”
She concluded, “I love you poppy, my Pal. You coloured our world. God bless you, you dear soul. I love you beyond thoughts and words.”
What to Know About Walter Parazaider
Parazaider founded Chicago in 1967 alongside fellow brass/woodwind instrumentalists Lee Loughnane and James Pankow.
Keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm, bassist/vocalist Peter Cetera, drummer Danny Seraphine, and guitarist/vocalist Terry Kath were also founding members of the band.
At the time, the band was called The Big Thing. It next became Chicago Transit Authority, before landing on its final name, Chicago, in 1969.
Parazaider contributed to many of Chicago’s hits including “Questions 67 and 68,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” and “Call on Me.”
According to Forbes, Parazaider stayed with the band until 2017, when he retired due to health issues. The musician, who played saxophone, clarinet, and flute, announced his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2021.
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