Chicago Pizza Patriarch Fred Rosati Dies At 102

CHICAGO, IL — Fred Rosati, co-founder of Rosati's Pizza, died Monday at the age of 102, the pizza franchise announced. A member of the third generation of the Rosati family, Fred co-founded the pizza franchise in the 1970s, six years after the first location opened in Mount Prospect.

More than 50 years later, 200 Rosati's Pizza locations are have made their way across the U.S.

"To Fred, no one was a stranger and life was truly about the journey," the family wrote on the Rosati's Pizza Facebook page. "He was fun loving, cheerful and his impulse was always to share whatever he had. His giant footprint in the pizza industry and his love of life always brought joy, and his exuberance and vitality lit up every room he entered. Bringing Rosati's Pizza to the households and neighborhoods around the Chicagoland area and eventually the country is a simple joy that Fred created, and we are forever thankful for that. WE LOVE YOU FRED and you will be missed greatly by all whose lives that you touched."

Rosati was born in Chicago in 1917 as one of 11 children.

Related: Rosati's Pizza Traces Rich History Back to an Italian Immigrant

According to reports, Rosati passed away in Arizona. The family said a celebration of life will be held at a later date.