The passing of our DCASE friend Ron Salazar
Ron Salazar, a friend to the Maxwell Street Foundation and to the city of Chicago, passed away suddenly on January 26, 2019. Ron worked for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and prior to that for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events (MOSE). In his roles throughout that time, Ron was instrumental in helping the Foundation set-up at the annual Chicago Blues Festival and at the New Maxwell Street Market. He encouraged and implemented cultural programming at the Market, and invited the Foundation to participate. Ron, born in 1965, was only 54 years of age.
Anyone who knew Ron – his lust for life, his passion for cultural heritage including his own Philippino heritage, and his vision for the city of Chicago – misses him greatly. Nikki Butler, Manager of the Maxwell Street Market for DCASE, best expresses the sentiment of the Foundation members who also knew and worked with Ron: “Ron was a great friend and supporter of the Maxwell Street Market and a valued member of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. He will forever be in our hearts and memories.”
Photo caption: Ron Salazar (left) visits the Maxwell Street Foundation at the Maxwell Street Market, with enthusiastic board member Peter Pero on the right. Photo by Lori Grove, Maxwell Street Foundation, 2017.