Vocal, thoughtful Rockford advocate dies at age 61
Jay Ware, a champion for social justice and a vocal advocate for change, has died.
He was 61.
"He was one of the brightest men I knew who always wanted to have a conversation about how to make this community better," said Rockford's NAACP President Rhonda Greer Robinson.
Ware, who died Tuesday, chaired the civil rights organization's Criminal Justice Committee before stepping down last year due to health reasons.
He spent his brief retirement serving on several community boards including the Winnebago County Mental Health Board and the city's Community Relations Committee.
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Ware was a calming presence, especially during the height of the community protests following the murder of George Floyd in the spring of 2020, said Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd.
"Jay was looking to understand both sides of what was going on," Redd said. "He was an individual that didn't pass judgement or lean any one particular way until he understood both sides of the coin."
"He had a unique ability to push you while not being offensive and also trying to find common ground," added Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. "Just incredibly thoughtful, well-prepared and someone who cared deeply about our community."
Wendy Bennett, who served with Ware on the Mental Health Board, described Ware as someone who was deeply committed to helping people in the criminal justice system who are suffering from mental illness.
"He was working to come up with better solutions," she said.
Ware was a Rockford native who graduated from Auburn High School, attended Rock Valley College and retired from Woodward, Inc. as an operations technician.
He and his wife, Laura, have three children and two grandchildren.
Laura Ware attributes her husband's concern for others and for his hometown to his upbringing.
"He came from a wonderful family," she said. "That's how he was raised and that's how we raised our children. ... He just wanted to be somebody who made a difference."
Former State Representative Litesa Wallace said she will miss having in-depth conversations with Ware.
"Even when we disagreed, we still found ways to exploit the common and think about ways to be allies with each other," she said.
Wallace said she and Ware had more than one conversation about policing and concepts related to policing as well as how to address root causes of issues in the Black community.
"How do we get to a place where equality actually exists? Where people are being educated adequately, you know, having comparable graduation rates, comparable opportunities for careers and jobs and salaries? ... He and I talked about all of it. I really respected him, and this is really sad."
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Jay Ware had an ear and a heart for the people of Rockford
