The Kane County community is reeling Tuesday with the sad news that District 8 County Board member and Aurora and Montgomery civic leader Jesse Vasquez has died at the age of 51.

Details of his passing are not available as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, but some County Board members said they believe he died of a heart attack.

The news of his passing was distributed via email message at 7:39 a.m. from Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen.

“I am very sorry to inform you that our respected colleague, Jesse Vazquez, has passed away,” the brief email said. “We hope to forward more information as it becomes available.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jesse and his family.”

The responses on his Facebook page this morning are overflowing with shock, grief and fond memories of the longtime public servant.

Vazquez was in every way the hometown boy who did good. He was highly respected as the area sales manager at Performance Food Group.

On the Kane County Board, he served on the County Board, Committee of the Whole, Agriculture Committee, Energy and Environmental Committee, Jobs Committee, Legislative Committee, Public Health Committee and Public Service Committee.

He was a United States Marine Corps veteran, joining the Marines in 1984, and was honorably discharged in 1988 as a corporal.

His service to the community is almost too long to name but includes:

• Member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, where he chaired a major fundraising event.
• Former president of the Mental Health & Mental Retardation 708, Inc., which funds services for physically and mentally challenged individuals, where he served for 17 years.
• For 15 years, he served on the Montgomery Planning Commission, where he reviewed residential and commercial development.
• He served on the East Aurora Task Force committee and recommended land use that would enhance the East Aurora School district’s economic base side.
• He served on a Fox Valley Freeway advisory committee that studied and made recommendations to the counties and to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the regional transportation needs in Kane, Will and Kankakee Counties.
• He co-founded Partners in Health (Companeros en Salud), networking group that helps residents gain better access to health care.

ABOUT JESSE B. VAZQUEZ

Jesse and his wife Maria have three children – Eric 17, Michael 15 and Veronica 8.  The Vazquez family has lived in Montgomery for 19 years. They attend St. Peter Church in Aurora.

• Jesse is a Marine Corps Veteran.
• Graduate of West Aurora High.
• Attended Waubonsee Community College.
• Jesse was employed by the city of Aurora in the Youth Activity Department.
• Worked for Congressman George E. Sangmeister as the Aurora office manager.
• Jesse has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry.