Funeral services were held for a mother of four girls from Round Lake Beach who was found dead in Round Lake after being reported missing, with her being remembered for her personality that “filled every room she entered.”
Laura Rodriguez-Vazquez, 44, of Round Lake Beach, was reported missing to the Round Lake Beach Police Department.
Round Lake Police Chief David Prus said the report was made around 4 a.m. on August 2.
The Round Lake Police Department received a call from a friend and co-worker of Rodriguez-Vazquez requesting that police check a location in Round Lake for the woman, Prus said.
Officers responded to the 300 block of Fieldstone Court in Round Lake around 11:15 a.m. on August 3, Prus said.
Family members told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that they had requested the check of the location, not a friend, and that they requested the check at 10:30 p.m on August 2 but the property owner did not permit police to enter until the following day on August 3.
No one was home at the time and officers later made contact with the homeowner, who gave consent for them to enter, Prus said.
Prus said officers located Rodriguez-Vazquez unresponsive inside the townhome unit.
Paramedics were called and pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and took possession of Rodriguez-Vazquez, who was found dead in a bathroom, for an autopsy.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said an autopsy performed last Tuesday showed no evidence of significant injuries.
Her cause and manner of death are pending toxicology test results, Newton said.
Prus said the incident remains an active investigation by detectives and the coroner’s office.
A local violence interrupter group asked the community early last week for help in finding Rodriguez-Vazquez.
“Her family, especially her daughters, are extremely worried and are asking for the community’s help in bringing her home safely,” the not-for-profit organization said.
“If you have seen Laura or have ANY information about where she may be, please send us a private message immediately or contact your local police department,” they said.
An obituary for Rodriguez-Vazquez said she was a mother of four daughters and leaves behind a husband, along with brothers, sisters and other family members. “Of all her earthly roles, Laura’s greatest joy was being a mother.”
Her obituary said her daughters were the “center of her world” and she devoted her “heart, her time, and her strength” to loving, caring for and guiding them.
“Her greatest ‘hobby’ was not a pastime, but a calling: maintaining strong relationships with her friends and being present for her girls in every season of life,” the obituary said.
Rodriguez-Vazquez’s family said her personality “filled every room she entered.”
“She was caring, charismatic, and impossible to forget. Nobody who met Laura V. Vazquez forgot about her, because her infectious smile and warm spirit left a mark that stayed long after the conversation ended. She had a way of making people feel seen, heard, and important, whether she was coordinating an event, checking in on a friend, or simply sharing a laugh,” her obituary said.
A funeral service was held at New Hope Church in Gurnee on Friday followed by a burial at Northshore Garden of Memories Cemetery in North Chicago.