Joseph Frank Lacko, age 68, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at his home in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday, December 10. His death follows a courageous battle with Familial Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Joe was born in Bell, CA on March 12, 1941; he was the beloved son of Joseph F. Lacko, Sr. and Evelyn M. Morris Lacko, and was the eldest of their five children including Robert deceased, Virginia, Elizabeth and John. He was predeceased in 1998 by his first wife, Marianne Elizabeth.

Joe is survived by his wife Yvette; his children Michelle Dash, Wendy, Joseph, Jennifer Day and Laura; his step-son Mark Crawford and ten beautiful grandchildren. He also leaves behind numerous family members, including his daughter- and sons-in-law, all of whom he loved very dearly.

Joe will be very warmly and fondly remembered for his keen wit, his gentle spirit, and his brilliant blue eyes. He was always generous with his wisdom, his time and his resources; his character throughout his life was deftly defined by gratitude, confidence and optimism. He was a principled real estate developer and successful investor. He loved the outdoors, and was an avid skier and diver, He especially loved any opportunity he found to spend time in Hawaii. He was adored by many, and was a deeply loyal and devoted friend.

The memory of this warm and amazing man will remain with us in our hearts and minds always.

A celebration of his life and funeral mass will be held at 11:00a.m. on Monday, December 14, 2009 at the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Memorial contributions to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation would be appreciated pulmonaryfibrosis.org. All arrangements are being coordinated through O'Connor Mortuary, Laguna Hills Chapel 949581-4300.