I am shocked and saddened to hear of Rocky Wirtz’s passing, a true gentleman and a great person. As a state regulator I had numerous meetings with Rocky Wirtz and his leadership team. He was always fair, honest, and treated you with the greatest respect.

As a big Blackhawks fan, I thank him for building back the great franchise that laid dormant for too long.

Although Rocky and I were on opposite sides of the alcohol divide, one thing remained constant from my days as a neutral state regulator to an advocate for the other side of the debate, Rocky’s class never wavered no matter the situation.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family. People of complete class like Rocky Wirtz are irreplaceable!