Marty Ozinga III, Chairman Of Ozinga Board, Dies At 71

MOKENA, IL — Martin (Marty) Ozinga III, the chairman of the board for Ozinga, died Monday. Ozinga was 71, the company said in a release.

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dad, Marty Ozinga III," Ozinga's son Marty Ozinga IV, said. "He passed away suddenly Monday morning at his home. Dad was loved by many, including his family, his coworkers, customers and friends in the community. Please keep the Ozinga family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Marty III served as the Chairman of the Board of Ozinga, a fourth-generation family business, which is headquartered in Mokena.

Marty III began working for Ozinga at age 15 as a $1-per-hour laborer in the company’s first yard in Evergreen Park, the company said. By 18, he was driving a ready-mix concrete truck for union wages while earning a degree in psychology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He became general manager in 1973 at age 23 and, in 1985, succeeded his father as president of Ozinga.

Marty, along with his cousins Rich and Jim, led the business through a period of tremendous growth, including expansion into the downtown Chicago market where Ozinga supplied concrete for construction of the new Comiskey Park (now Guaranteed Rate Field), the renovation of Soldier Field, and the production of more than 250,000 cubic yards of concrete for the Dan Ryan Expressway. Ozinga has also expanded across much of the Chicago area and northwest Indiana, the company said.

"Marty continued the legacy established by his father, seeking to steward the business to the honor and glory of God, treating coworkers with care and respect and generously giving of his time and resources to causes that helped those less fortunate in local communities and abroad," the company said.

Marty was married to his wife Ruth for 40 years until her death in 2010. In 2012, Marty III handed over the operations of the family business to his six sons and their cousin Jeff, representing the fourth generation of Ozinga ownership, the company said.

Marty is survived by his wife Melissa, his six sons, their wives, and 29 grandchildren. He was a dear brother of the late Ken (Judy) Ozinga and Beverly Ozinga, brother-in-law of the late Theodore (Niki) Gombis and Dr. Leon (Kathryn) Gombis and a fond uncle of many nieces and nephews.