John Ioan Laza
John Ioan Laza, M.A., was born on July 18, 1949, in Cherestur, Romania. He passed away on November 24, 2025 at 12:41 p.m. at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, surrounded by family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Victoria and Ioan Laza, and is survived by his wife of 34 years, Tangee Laza, J.D., daughters Alina Daniela Collins, CDO, and Victoria Ann Laza, RBT, as well as his brother and several nieces and nephews.
In 1984, John earned a Masters Degree in Structures and Systems of Industrial Robotics from the Polytechnic Institute TRAIAN VUIA Timișoara Electrotechnical University of Engineering with honors and perfect scores. He became an internationally recognized accredited inventor while working at the institute in Romania.
He retired from General Motors as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer after a lengthy tenure. During his career, he specialized in machine systems and manufacturing processes.
John made the brave decision to escape the Socialist Republic of Romania in the late 1980s. He successfully did so, enduring many hardships including asylum prison, to earn his freedom and bring his daughter to the United States on January 31, 1991. John’s legacy as a fighter and survivor will forever be a part of history.
John loved fishing, cooking, cars, traveling, gardening, and his koi fish, as well as celebrating and joking with loved ones. He treasured time at home with his family, especially his two daughters whom he loved more than anything. He designed and built numerous impressive structures in his free time, including a bridge, a koi pond, a shed, and a treehouse for his daughter. He was a respected member of the local Romanian community, known to be highly intelligent, jovial, and a great cook. He will be greatly missed by many.
John’s celebration of life will take place on July 18, 2026 in Lansing, Michigan.
14 Messages to “John Ioan Laza”
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Lisa Coccoli
November 28, 2025 at 10:15 pm“Rest in peace, John. Our hearts are heavy, but so full of love for you. You didn’t just cook for us — you cared for us, comforted us, and brought us together with every meal you made. Everything you touched had warmth, flavor, and heart, just like you. Your presence lit up the room, your laughter filled the air, and your food made us feel at home. We will miss you more than words can express, but we will carry your love, your spirit, and your gift for bringing people together for the rest of our lives. Thank you for every moment, every memory, and every meal. We love you always, John.”
James Cudney
November 28, 2025 at 10:55 pmUncle John you were an amazing man and were loved by many. I will forever cherish the memories and stories from the years of being around you. You were one of the guys that I looked to as a child and thought you were invincible. The way you carried yourself and treated loved ones and friends will leave a lasting impression on my life and I thank you for that. I wish we could’ve gotten together and had a drink and gotten to talk more once I was older but unfortunately timelines didn’t work out for that. I am glad I was at least able to be there to say goodbye. You are loved by all that met you and an inspiration. We love you Uncle John, rest easy. Love James and the kids
Alina Colins
November 28, 2025 at 11:27 pmDad, you are the best father in the world. Nobody could have ever hoped for more dedicated and loving father.
You are the most powerful person I have ever known you were always right and you had the most incredible tenacity, ambition, and resilience you never give up anything. You always achieved everything you put your mind to you are more than remarkable human being over ever and on. I will always love you and I thank you for everything and this is just the first part of the things I want to say with love your daughter Alina.
Mona Laza
December 3, 2025 at 12:21 amCondolences to the family!
Sharon L Cooney
November 29, 2025 at 12:22 amI met John through his wife. When I met him, it’s like we had been knowing each other for a lifetime; we got along great. John was very nice to me and he made me feel welcomed whenever I came to visit. He always made sure that he cooked a dish, and he insisted that I had to try it. I always looked forward to that.
John will definitely be missed. Rest in the care of the Almighty where there is no more sickness or pain.
Amanda Johnson
November 29, 2025 at 7:02 amRest in peace to one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. I will cherish my memories for the rest of my life and will continue to be inspired by you.
Kathleen Cudney
November 29, 2025 at 1:42 pmJohn, I’m so very thankful and blessed to know you. When Tangee and I met at work those many years ago. I never knew that one day I would have another family (all of you)! When I initially met you it was when I was watching Victoria for you and Tangee. You were always so kind and welcoming.
As time passed with me watching Victoria you eventually said you stay and try my chicken soup, I was hesitant as I’m probably the fussiest eater you ever met, but I stayed and I tried it. Oh my goodness, so delicious! As time passed Tangee, you, Victoria and I all stayed in touch. You all became my family. Eventually I had my son James and he knew you and Tangee as his Aunt & Uncle, Victoria as the cousin who’d babysit sit him (lol… I think he was trying to babysit her). Then when my son Zachary was born again he grew up knowing Uncle John, Aunt Tangee, and Victoria. At Victoria’s gathering in the backyard he tip-toed through your garden as an innocent 2 year old and you were “What are you doing, you don’t walk through there” but he didn’t step on a single plant and your reaction was priceless and had us all laughing. As he grew up, he and I would come over and help with chores around the house for you and no matter where you were you were always ever watchful and present with your wisdom and guidance and “Don’t do it like that, do it like this” that always made us laugh. You were not feeling well when Zachary had his Graduation Open House and Naval Send-Off Party, but your words in the card sent are treasured, as are Tangee and Victoria’s. Your pride and love for him was palpable. Your love for your two nephews and for your great niece and nephew will live on. We all love you and we will miss you. Until we meet again, don’t burn up too much rubber on the streets of Heaven with my Dad and you all have fun fishing. I’m sure there’s a lot of family up there that’ll join you.
Love you,
Kathleen and the kids
David Hresko
November 29, 2025 at 8:13 pmI had the pleasure of meeting John as a co-worker, but getting to know him as a friend. I was a new manager and John always knew when I was stressed. He often had more confidence in me than I had in myself. I believe that was because John overcame so many obstacles in his own life he believed others could too.
John was on assignment in France when 9/11 happened. In a horrible case of oversight, John and I were not informed of the evacuation plans for GM personnel in Europe, and as a result, he was stranded there as all air traffic was suspended. Using his network of friends and associates, his outgoing personality and God-given sense, he roamed Europe for weeks on his own until we could bring him home. For many of us that experience would have been terrifying. For John it was just a couple of months in Europe.
I will miss his friendship, his cooking, his scorn for bad governments and his humor after putting some hurt on a good fifth of scotch. All of us who knew him were blessed for the experience.
Jacob Vlad
November 30, 2025 at 2:47 pmRest in peace my dear friend!
Eudona Stewart-Hicks
December 1, 2025 at 1:04 amEudona Stewart-Hicks
I celebrate the life and legacy of John Laza.
I met John on his and Tangee’s amazing wedding day. Tangee and I met at Syracuse University. We had a few courses together and became the best of friends since then. When Tangee announced her engagement to John, I was so excited to meet him.
I enjoyed my time spent with John, Tangee, and their beautiful daughter, Victoria. When I visited Tangee at Lansing, MI, John always made me feel like a part of the family. John always lit up the room with his smile and sense of humor. I was privileged to have his delicious vegetable soup, as I know he was a great cook.
John would always make me laugh. He was highly astute in politics and history, and I was blessed to be a partaker of his wisdom and insights of life. I enjoyed our conversations and lighthearted debates.
John was such a loving, caring, and dedicated husband and father to his wife and to his daughters.
John touched his family in an incredibly special and loving way. He made this world a better place. I will truly miss John. John will forever be in our hearts.
John is in God’s loving hands.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 NJJV
Simona Laza
December 2, 2025 at 7:12 pm“God rest you in peace” with great pain I say goodbye to you, Uncle John, who became part of our family in 1970. I am sorry that life did not allow us to see each other again. You were a wonderful soul with many qualities and you will always remain in my heart.
You were a very good painter, a great artist; you liked books, you read all the volumes of Jules Verne; you were a good builder of large models of airplanes and ships, you were a joker with a good mood, you put your heart into everything you did.
I grew up around Uncle John, his mother, Mrs. Victoria Laza, was a prompt and appreciated nurse, sometime in the evening Alina and I would go out into the yard, and Mrs. Victoria would teach us about all the planets of the solar system, after which she would tell us the weather for the next day.
Uncle John, thank you for the wonderful times, I’m sorry time didn’t allow me to be around to say goodbye. May God light your path to heaven. Goodbye until we meet again in heaven.
With great sorrow, Mona!
rebecca taylor
December 3, 2025 at 8:47 pmI only met Victoria’s father a couple years ago but every time I was around him and everytime I ate something he cooked it was enlightening and a positive experience. I enjoyed fully the talks we would have in passing amd he always taught me something new. His love he had and showed for his family also was very inspiring as well because he was never hesitant to show he cared. He will be truly be missed
Ferg Ferguson
December 4, 2025 at 8:21 pmJohn was always kind to me and when Victoria and I would have sleepovers, I was always in awe of her dad sitting in the other living room, watching something on tv and thought he was insanely cool and mysterious. A good person and will be greatly missed.
Aron Cotrau
December 15, 2025 at 2:03 pmI have known Nelu / John since I was a kid. He was a great friend to my father back in Romania, both before fleeing the communist regime and after. He used to visit Romania back in the 90s when I was growing up, every time dropping by and visiting us as well. I remember providing him with Romanian schnapps (Tuica) for his way back to the US and he calling us a few weeks later to express his gratitude for it and to tell us that it’s almost over.
In the last few years I used to keep contact with him, we used to talk almost every other month. We even agreed for me to visit him and the family in Lansing a few years back. That was a great time we had together, we went fishing, went to visit Chicago and Detroit and we had a great time at his home. As most of you know, John loved food. He loved cooking, and he also loved eating. We had some feasts together with Romanian traditional foods. I remember teaching him to cook seafood pasta. Even after a few years, he called me and told me he was cooking pasta as we used to cook it together.
This time in the US was unfortunately also the last time I saw Nelu in person. My father passed away a few years ago, as well as another of their good friends, Heini. John was the last of the three musketeers to pass.
This is how I remember John. A loving man, a gentle man and sometimes a party man. Always a great man.
Nelu – we talked a lot and I know you wanted to see Romania before the end, unfortunately that did not work out in the end. Please say hi to Heini and my father once you meet them up there, I’m sure you’ll celebrate the getting together with them with a glass of Tuica and a million stories that still need telling.
We all love you!
From Timisoara,
Angela, Daia and Ari