Lou Zocchi

Lou Zocchi was born in Chicago, the eldest child of Louis Alexander Zocchi, a machinist and engraver, and Martha Adam. Lou was fascinated by his father's precision craftmanship, and became obsessed with mathematical accuracy. Following his parents' divorce, Lou, his brother James and his sister Diane moved to Maywood, Illinois with his mother, where Lou graduated from Proviso High School in 1954.

Zocchi married Elisa Scott in 1959, and they raised a family of four children. At the time of his death, he had eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Early in Zocchi's life, his mother had given up her youngest infant daughter Joan for adoption, and the family lost touch with her. In 2012, Joan contacted Zocchi and the two were reunited.

Zocchi was a talented musician, able to play ukulele, violin, viola, trombone, trumpet, guitar, and electric bass. In 1971, he won first place in the Air Force World Wide Talent Contest by playing the song “Exodus” on a musical saw. He also was a magician and ventriloquist, performing with his dummy Woody Knotts.. For five decades, he played jazz piano, drums and bass fiddle with various jazz societies in Biloxi and New Orleans.

In 2022, age 87, Zocchi moved from Mississippi to Mapleton, Utah to be closer to his children and their families. Zocchi died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 91.