'Mr. Southfield' former Mayor Donald Fracassi dies at 88
Donald Fracassi
FOX 2 (WJBK) - Former longtime Southfield Mayor Donald Fracassi, who served 30 years in that role - and 20 more as a councilman, died at 88 on Sunday,
He was first elected to the Southfield City Council in 1967 and served as Mayor from 1973 to 2001. He returned to City Council in 2003 and briefly served again as Mayor in 2015, until he retired in 2019.
"No singular individual has had a bigger impact on the City of Southfield than Donald Fracassi — I’m incredibly saddened to hear of his passing," said State Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield). "Don was ‘Mr. Southfield,’ leading the city as Mayor during a dramatic period of growth — ‘from farmlands to skyscrapers,’ as he would say."
Fracassi was born March 21, 1935, in Hamtramck, MI and was a 1953 graduate of Cranbrook High School. He and his wife Karen had seven children, with 14 grandchildren and a great-grandfather of five.
The day he died, Sunday, was his wedding anniversary of 63 years.
Moss said his leadership was instrumental in Southfield's trajectory as a leading city in SE Michigan.
"He used his platform to be an outspoken and passionate advocate for our city and propelled us to be a key player in our region — founding the Eight Mile Boulevard Association, forming the South Oakland County Mayor’s Association and serving in leadership in the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments," Moss said. "He was instrumental in the development of many city amenities we enjoy to this day: the Southfield Pavilion, the Civic Center Arena, Beech Woods, the Historic Burgh site and more."
Visitation Wednesday from 1:00 PM until 8:00 PM Sawyer Fuller Funeral Home, 2125 12 Mile Rd. Berkley. Funeral on Thursday 10:00 AM Instate until time of the service 11:00 AM. Highland Park Baptist Church 28600 Lahser Rd. Southfield. Burial Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, Southfield, MI.
In lieu of flowers please make a contribution to Southfield Goodfellows.