Ed Rousseau: Gone at 76

From the Journal Gazette:

Ed Rousseau, a longtime Allen County office holder who spent the majority of his adult life in an elected office has died. He was 76.

For years, Rousseau was considered the Allen County commissioner to be reckoned with.

Rousseau, a Republican, played a major role in several of the county’s biggest undertakings, including establishing the income tax and bringing GM to Fort Wayne and the renovation and expansion of Memorial Coliseum.

[…] During his eight years on the council, he helped launch the Public Transportation Corp. and the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission, which investigates discrimination complaints.

[…] During his 16 years in the office, he found money for the Airport Expressway and worked to improve the Coliseum.

When he retired from elected office, he was presented with the Sagamore of the Wabash, which was then Indiana’s highest honor.

[…] After he retired as commissioner, he weighed in on the city’s Harrison Square project and served for a short time on the Convention and Tourism Authority. In the time since his retirement from elected office, Rousseau has also served on the Local Government Efficiency Study Committee and has served on the Plaza Parking Garage Board.

Rousseau battled small-cell carcinoma, a type of incurable lung cancer, for years, but he didn’t let it get in the way of being involved in civic life.

[…] Services for Rousseau are pending with D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Home.

I met Mr. Rousseau in February, 2007 while working on a project.  He was informative and enlightening and it was probably two of the better hours I’ve spent in interviews of this type.  Two of the things he talked about repeatedly were beating Cancer and other politician’s legacies.  He refused to talk about his own, however, they are evident throughout this community.  Rest easy, Ed, you deserve it!