Former mayor on city manager's death: 'Oh my gosh, he certainly did prove us wrong'



ROCKFORD, MI - After suffering a stroke Monday, City Manager Michael Young died Wednesday afternoon. He was 48.



Young had served as Rockford's city manager for the past 20 years.

"The word 'excellent' doesn't do Michael justice," Mayor Jerry Coon said in a prepared statement. "He was a visionary as an administrator for our city, able to look 20 years down the road and see what needs to be done to make Rockford a better place.

"Rockford was truly fortunate to have Michael. He was a good leader and was always full of optimism."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Coon and Dave Jones, the chief of public safety, have been running the city in Young's absence. The City Council will appoint an interim city manager Feb. 8.

Young was 28 when he was chosen from among 80 applicants to become Rockford's city manager, succeeding Daryl Delabbio, who now is Kent County administrator. Before that, Young worked in Greenville and Spring Lake, where he served with Eric DeLong, now the deputy city manager in Grand Rapids.

Municipal government colleagues have established a scholarship fund in Young's honor at Grand Valley State University. You can contribute to the fund here.

"I am honored to have called him both 'boss' and 'friend,'" Jones said in a prepared statement. "We have enjoyed a long and wonderful professional relationship that has transcended the office. My family and I will miss him immensely."

During Young's tenure in Rockford, the city pursued and received several grants to fund development of parks and nature trails. He also consolidated the city's police and fire operations into a cross-trained public safety department, and spearheaded the North Kent Sewer Authority's move away from the Grand Rapids wastewater system with construction of its own treatment plant on Coit Avenue NE in Plainfield Township.

Young graduated from Grand Haven High School and from GVSU, where he was a wrestler. He also coached and officiated wrestling.

Mr. Young is survived by his wife, Melissa, daughters Michaela (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Mackenzie (Baltimore, Md.), and son Jake, who is a senior at Rockford High School.

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