District honors Phil Ardussi's 55 years

Past President Phil Ardussi was among four Rotarians honored at the District 6630 Conference of Clubs on April 22 for over 50 years of service to Rotary.

When he got out of the Air Force in 1961, Phil went to work for his dad who sponsored him in the Lakewood Rotary Club that year. At that time, the club included Phil’s dad, his uncle, Sterling N. Farmer, and his grandfather, August Farmer. The club met at the Lake Shore Hotel.

In his early years as a Rotarian, Phil enlisted the help of Thom Geist setting up the room for the club’s annual speech contest.

Phil left the area in 1973, settled in Grosse Pointe Park, MI, and joined the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club. He became their president in 1979. He then moved to Flossmoor, IL, a suburb of Chicago, and joined the Matteson Rotary Club in 1980.

Upon the death of his father on Palm Sunday, 1983, Phil and his family moved back to Rocky River where he rejoined the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River.

Phil notes that both his parents were close friends of Rotarian Carl Dryer, who started our club’s Foundation. In fact, Phil’s mother was the Foundation’s first donor, and later, our club’s first woman member.