Mokena Officials Remember Late Former Mayor Ronald J. Grotovsky

Mokena IL

13 August, 2021

12:18 PM

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By Jon DePaolis, Richard Free Press: MOKENA, Ill. — The Village of Mokena Board of Trustees recognized the late former Mayor Ronald J. Grotovsky during the Monday, Aug. 9 meeting. Grotovsky, who served as a trustee (1981-1985, 1987-1989) and was twice elected mayor (1989-1997), died on Aug. 5. "I considered Ron a friend and a mentor," Mayor Frank Fleischer said at the start of the meeting. "Mayor Grotovsky was a passionate leader who genuinely cared about the welfare of the residents of Mokena — a man and a mentor to many … that helped everyone around him become better. He believed highly in helping out the less fortunate in the community. "He was the driving force behind the Mokena Mayors Charity Foundation, which raised over $360,000 in 30 years. He helped out local charities and civic organizations and other countless Mokena residents. Mayor Grotovsky led the Village of Mokena during a time of unprecedented growth and development in the community." Fleischer said Grotovsky used to drive around the community, and if he saw something in the street or off the side of the road, he would stop his vehicle and throw the item in his trunk before moving on. "He did that countless times when we were together," Fleischer said. The mayor also gave another instance when he saw Grotovsky go above and beyond the call of duty. "We had a bad rain one night, and this was when we had a bad drainage system throughout Mokena," Fleischer recounted. "It was horrible. The drainage system was not keeping up with the development. It's kind of hard to work when you try to put a 10-inch pipe into an 8-inch pipe. It just doesn't work. "We were driving through [the community], and somebody that he knew was having a problem — the whole house was flooding with water. Ron had dress pants on and a nice pair of shoes. But all of a sudden, he got out of the car, walked through the water and over to the person's house to help them carry some stuff out. "That was Ron. He was a good mayor. He was a good friend. He's going to be missed by many of us. Ronnie, thank you for everything you've done for the Village of Mokena." Trustee Joseph Budzyn also shared memories of Grotovsky during his comments to the board at the end of the meeting. "As a trustee and mayor, Ron worked tirelessly for the betterment of Mokena and urged other residents to get involved and do the same," Budzyn said. "He was always out and about looking for ways to improve the Village." A moment of silence was held for Grotovsky prior to the start of the meeting. Richard Free Press is a one-stop destination for the news that most affects you, the southwest suburban resident. Be an informed citizen of the town you live in and love.