Former Frankfort Mayor and retired Will County Judge Raymond Rossi died this week, leaving behind a legacy of tough leadership.
Rossi, 70, died Tuesday at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, according to his obituary.
Rossi was mayor from 1993 to 2005 and was a tough but respected leader, Mayor Keith Ogle said.
“His reputation certainly is that he was tough and he wasn’t going to be pushed around or manipulated,” Ogle said. “He was always looking out for what was best for the village of Frankfort and for its residents.”
Rossi spearheaded initiatives focused on economic development, community engagement and sustainable growth, according to the village’s news release.
Ogle said Rossi’s greatest accomplishment as mayor was elevating standards for the Frankfort community. One example is Rossi’s tough approach to developers, which Ogle said the Frankfort community has benefited from since.
“During this period of growth, they were very, very tough on developers that were coming in,” Ogle said. “They held them to a very high standard. And the communities benefit from that, and we maintain that.”
Ogle first met Rossi at a Fourth of July parade while Rossi was campaigning for judge, after people kept mixing up the two.
“My wife and I were standing in the middle, and I’m Italian looking, and people mistook me for for Ray, and told me about this afterward,” he said. “And he just got a he got a huge kick out of that.”
After knowing Rossi for 15 years, Ogle said he is impressed by his leadership and commitment to the Frankfort community.
“The things that he put in place really helped make Frankfort the modern village that it is,” Ogle said. “It was a period of unprecedented growth during his term for Will County, and for Frankfort, he took the lead, and he did an amazing job. He was very strong leader, and, you know, he always listened, but he was a person of integrity.”
Ogle said Rossi had a passion for wrestling and spent his time coaching at the Falcon Wrestling Club.
Ogle said Rossi had a strong relationship with his wife, Terri, who died in 2017 at 63.
“He just adored her. She was wonderful. And we both kind of looked at that, and you hope that your relationships are those ways,” Ogle said.
Ogle said he plans to incorporate elements of Rossi’s leadership style.
“He had a vision for the long future, and that’s I’ve tried to incorporate that myself,” Ogle said.
Visitation will be from 2-7 p.m. Sunday at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 65 Old Frankfort Way. The funeral service is at 10 a.m. Monday, July 1 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 7659 W. Sauk Trail. Interment is at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
