McHenry roofer remembered for his love of the outdoors after sudden death at Moraine Hills State Park

A McHenry retired commercial roofer, father and grandfather is being remembered for his career achievements and for being an avid outdoor enthusiast.

Craig M. Ragusin, 66, is believed to have died of natural causes after he was found on a trail at the Moraine Hills State Park last week, according to a McHenry County Coroner’s Office news release. Ragusin appears to have had a medical emergency and was found quickly afterward by passersby who tried for about 45 minutes to resuscitate him, Ragusin’s son Matthew Ragusin said.

Friend and former wife Sondra Ragusin said he went for a hike at one of his favorite parks on one of the first nice days of the year, which was “exactly what he would have wanted.”

“He was going for a hike, he had music in his ears and it was a nice, beautiful sunny day,” she said.

Craig Ragusin was the director of roofing operations for McHenry-based contractor Metalmaster Roofmaster and retired in June 2023, Erin O’Sullivan of Metalmaster Roofmaster said. Ragusin and his team received the Master Contractor Award in 2014 by Firestone Building Products Company LLC.

Ragusin had three sons, two of whom also work at Metalmaster Roofmaster. The eldest, Matthew, took over his father’s position when he retired in 2023, Matthew said. His brother Jarrod is a high school science teacher and Benjamin, the youngest, works at Metalmaster Roofmaster as a sheet metal superintendent. Craig Ragusin’s brother and two nephews also work at the company, Sondra said.

During his career, Craig Ragusin worked on countless commercial roofs from northern Indiana to southern Wisconsin, with a focus on McHenry County. His work included buildings at Algonquin Commons buildings, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart stores and Menards, Matthew Ragusin said.

“I still remember driving down the highway with him when I was younger, and he would point out, ‘We did this roof; we did that roof’ – reminders when I go pretty much anywhere, knowing that he had a hand in these projects all over the place," Matthew said.

Craig Ragusin lived in McHenry County since high school and graduated from Woodstock High School, Sondra said. Following the end of their 20-plus-year marriage, they reconciled as friends and lived together for the past five years. Sondra and Craig Ragusin had plans to go to Yellowstone National Park and Juneau, Alaska, this year.

“I just retired in January and we were going to do some traveling, but we didn’t get much time to do it,” she said.

Ragusin’s passions included skiing, snowboarding, golfing, woodworking and Jeeping and he was a “big advocate for national parks,” Sondra said.

His eldest son said Ragusin “passed on the love for outdoors to us.”

A celebration of life was held Saturday. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the National Parks Service at nps.gov/getinvolved/donate.htm, according to his obituary.