Romeo Rossi: Henry Ford Trade School Alumnus Romeo Rossi, among the oldest living graduates of the Henry Ford Trade School, died from natural causes. He was 95. Rossi embodied the values and qualities honesty, integrity and a disciplined work ethic of the famed training ground for some of the most respected names in the history of Ford Motor Company. Rossi came to the United States as a boy, grew up on Detroit's East Side, and spent most of his life as a Dearborn resident. "My dad was proud of his Italian-American heritage, especially growing up in the same neighborhood of heavyweight boxing icon Joe Louis," said his son, Charles Rossi, of Grosse Ile. "Above all, however, he was proud of his Ford Trade School education, and how it prepared him for his career in the Ford Design Center. He would recall fondly as a teenager when, on several occasions, he met Henry Ford, who created the Trade School and took an active interest in its hand-picked students." Rossi's love for Ford and automobiles followed throughout his life. An avid reader and photographer, Rossi maintained an active interest in world affairs and politics. He was noted for his spirited debates on a wide range of socio-economic and political issues, and prided himself on developing his vocabulary through his love of books on diverse topics. "My dad was the ultimate role model on the value of life-long learning and staying active," said Charles. "He credited the Ford Trade School for giving him a practical educational foundation for life." Rossi was married to Mildred deceased for 59 years. He is survived by his daughter, Linda Rossi, of San Jose; son and daughter-in-law, Charles and Jane; and grandsons, Stephen, of New York; Philip, a student at Kalamazoo College, and Michael, at student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and sister and brother-in-law, Vera and Anthony Ventre, of Dearborn. Funeral services are at Howe-Peterson, Michigan Avenue, West Dearborn.