Former Roslyn Water Commissioner Jack Russo passed away peacefully on September 21, 2017, at the age of 94. A memorial tribute was held on Saturday, October 7 at the Bryant Library, 2 Paper Mill Road, Roslyn NY. Jack was a long time honorary member of the NSWCA and served as NSWCA President 2000 – 2002.
“Jack” as we knew him, served the Village of East Hills as Trustee for 24 years and on the Roslyn Water District Board for 23 years, many of them as Chair. An expert in water district operations and environmental issues, Jack was well known for his conservation efforts and the protection of our natural resources, including our great aquifer water supply.
Jack had many business successes and continued to be a force for the environment. One of his proudest accomplishments was the preservation of the 50+ acre site of the former Air National Guard Base as a Special Groundwater Protection area, which later became the Park at East Hills.
As District Superintendent Richard Passariello summarized so succinctly, “Jack epitomized the meaning of public service.”