We at FCG are very saddened by the passing of such a wonderful man. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this sorrowful time.
A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE SITE SELECTORS GUILD
It is with heavy hearts but fond memories that the members of the Site Selectors Guild announce the passing of our dear friend and Guild founder, Bob Ady.
Over the years, Bob has been a legend in site selection and economic development circles. His humor and that special spark he always had in his eyes will be sorely missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and all of us in the Guild.
We know that many of you have known Bob for years and that you had long-standing relationships with him, so we wanted to get the news of his passing out to you directly.
Bob died peacefully in his sleep this past Sunday.
As many of you know, Bob founded the Guild. It was a life-long dream of his to bring together professionals in this field of work and give us a common voice as an industry. We just held our first large-scale conference earlier this year and are in the midst of planning the next one set for February of 2013. It’s sobering to think Bob won’t be there with us, leading the charge and, of course, sharing his jokes.
Jerry Szatan, Treasurer of the Site Selectors Guild, President of Szatan & Associates, and former colleague of Bob’s, shared, “Bob hired me at the then PHH Fantus Consulting where I worked with him for eight years. He started as my boss, became my mentor and then my friend. I, and I know many others, valued his counsel, enjoyed his humor, thank him and will miss him.”
Below is Bob’s obituary – we thought you would like to see it.
Our prayers go out to his family and to all of you who will mourn Bob’s passing while celebrating his lifetime of achievements.
Robert M. Ady
Robert M. Ady, a resident of Mount Prospect, IL since 1989, formerly of Park Ridge, IL, died July 22, 2012 at Rainbow Hospice in Park Ridge after a six-month battle with prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; three children; a grandson; a brother, and two cousins.
Bob was a corporate site selection consultant and he is often credited with helping turn the fledgling field of site selection into a bona fide profession. He spent most of his
career at Fantus Consulting, now part of Deloitte, where he served as President for six years. Upon retiring from Fantus, he became co-founder and co-managing director of World Business Chicago, a regional economic development organization that at the time represented over 200 communities in nine counties. In 2001, he founded Ady International Company, a premier site selection consultancy.
In 2003 Bob was presented with the Edward deLuca Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Economic Development Council. His proudest professional accomplishment was the creation of a professional association of site selectors, the Site Selectors Guild, in 2010. He was elected President of that organization and served in that capacity until his passing.
Despite his strong commitment to his profession, Bob had many other interests. One of his greatest passions was travel. He and Nancy traveled to all seven continents, some many times. At their 50th wedding anniversary celebration—attended by many of their traveling companions—each table was themed with a different continent.
Bob was actively involved in the Park Ridge Community Church and served as an alderman for the 3rd ward on the Park Ridge City Council in the late 70’s and early 80’s. He also was an avid tennis player and played weekly for decades until earlier this year.
Despite his busy schedule, Bob spent a great deal of his time with his family and friends. He was a tribe leader to the Indian Guides and Indian Princesses when his children were young, and took his son on several father-son trips. These included canoeing in the Boundary Waters, rafting down the Wolf River, hiking in Glacier National Park, and most recently, kayaking in Mongolia. He surprised his entire family with a Hawaiian vacation in 2003 and, with Nancy’s complicity, hosted dozens of parties and group events at his beloved lake home in Wisconsin over the years. Bob related to people from all walks of life and was a natural mentor and leader to those around him.
His family is hosting a service of remembrance on Saturday, August 18th at 11:00 a.m. It will be held at the Park Ridge Community Church, 100 S Courtland Ave, Park Ridge, IL, and will be followed by a luncheon at the church. The family suggests those wanting to donate on Bob’s behalf leave a Memorial gift to the Park Ridge Community Church. Envelopes to facilitate that will be provided at the event.