Obituary

Neil James Mizen 1932-2021
Neil James Mizen, 88, of Rockford passed away peacefully Tuesday, April 6 in his home. Born May 21, 1932 in South Sioux City, Nebraska, the son of Roy Mizen and Alice Berger Mizen. He married Marlene Fay Stavik on August 16, 1958.
Neil received a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Neil began his career as an engineer in Buffalo, New York with Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, where he designed the first full-scale wearable exoskeleton. From there, he moved to Rockford, Illinois, where he started Mizen Engineering Company to produce specialized manufacturing equipment. He was also instrumental in starting several other businesses, including Mid-Northern Steel, Mid-Northern Construction, and Atometric. As a Registered Professional Engineer, Neil was a nationally recognized expert witness testifying in product liability cases, including lawsuits involving automotive sudden acceleration.
Neil loved to travel and visited more than 100 countries.
Survivors include his wife, Marlene; three sons, Mark (Linda) Mizen, Scott (Trini) Mizen, and Greg (Jill) Mizen; five grandchildren, Ethan, Amanda, Noah, Edwin, and Aaron; nephew, John Dolezar, and niece, Cathy Krick. He was predeceased by his parents and sister, Joyce Dolezar.
Funeral services will take place at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 3300 Rural Street, Rockford, IL at 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 14 with burial at Scandinavian Cemetery immediately following the service.
All are welcome to participate in the 11:00 service via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85607451820?pwd=YzdYaFo3dTYyNXBUeFlCc1dobVdDZz09
Meeting ID: 856 0745 1820
Passcode: 053009