A political legend from Black Hawk County has died. Leo Rooff left his mark on northeast Iowa while serving as mayor of Waterloo from 1974 to 1984. Rooff is credited with developing plans that led to reconstruction of the entire Cedar Valley Highway system, including the building of an elevated expressway through downtown Waterloo that now bears his name. During Rooff’s tenure, the city built the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. While mayor, Rooff was also instrumental in working with John Deere on the construction of many of its present-day facilities. After leaving office, Rooff remained active in several community endeavors and continued to lend his support and guidance on many projects. Rooff died of natural causes yesterday at 81. A public visitation will be held tomorrow morning in Waterloo. Funeral services are scheduled on Friday.
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