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On January 16, former Hammond Mayor Edward Raskosky passed away at age 89. Raskosky, a Democrat, served as Mayor from 1976 to 1984.
Born and raised in Hammond, Raskosky accomplished many great things throughout his life. He served as a Navy pilot during World War II, practiced law for over 50 years, served as a State Representative and as a Hammond City Judge for many years.
His Grandson, also named Edward Raskosky, a PUC junior majoring in broadcast journalism gave incite to the former Mayor's life.
According to Raskosky, his Grandfather was an advocate for education and had a love for Hammond and the Region. He even donated the old Hammond City Hall Doors to PUC, which were formerly located in the Student Union and Library Building.
"My grandpa used to ride around in the snowplows, making sure the kids could make it to school during snowstorms," Raskosky said.
Raskosky suffered from dementia for the past 10 years, but that didn't stop him from spending every Sunday cooking dinner for his family or working out five times per week at the PUC Fitness Center, where he eventually met his second wife, Margaret.
"He was a public servant, a man of the people and a family man," Raskosky said. "He just loved the region. He loved Northwest Indiana." "He was really proud he could help out the region. If he thought something was unfair, he was the kind of person who would do something about it."
When Raskosky was Mayor, he fought to increase wages for Police and Firefighters. Well after his term as Mayor, he became a Hammond Precinct Committeeman to fight unfair property taxes for his neighborhood.
Aside from his political and law careers, Raskosky was a big fan of the Region, enjoyed college sports and spending time with his family.
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