Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli Dies

CHICAGO (CBS) -- South suburban residents on Monday were mourning the loss of longtime leader Frank Zuccarelli.

Zuccarelli was supervisor and Democratic committeeman in Thornton Township, and chairman of the board of South Suburban College.

He died Monday afternoon at his home in South Holland after a battle with cancer.

"We mourn the sudden loss of our friend Frank Zuccarelli," South Holland Mayor Don A. De Graff said in a news release. "He has been a faithful and devoted leader for decades."

Dixmoor Village President Fitzgerald Roberts said in a statement:

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli. I have had the privilege of working with Frank for a number of years and I found him to be someone who would not only listen to the concerns of communities like ours but find ways to get things done. When our community was fighting for its life during the recent water crisis, Frank was there for us standing with our residents and doing all he could to help us. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Frank Zuccarelli. He will be missed."

Zuccarelli was elected Thornton Township Supervisor in April 1993, after 16 years on the Thornton Township Youth Committee Board.