Sunil Puri

Sunil Puri, founder and owner of First Midwest Group, who transformed the landscape of his community through visionary real estate development and philanthropy, died peacefully on Sunday, March 8, 2026. He was 65.

Born on October 3, 1960, in Bombay (Mumbai), India, to the late Amarnath and Chanchal Rani Puri, Sunil’s journey was the quintessential American success story. He immigrated to the United States in 1979 at the age of 18, arriving in Rockford, Illinois, with little more than $150 in his pocket and a fierce determination to succeed.

He attended Rockford College (now Rockford University), working humble jobs to fund his education, and graduated in 1982 with a degree in accounting. In 1984, he founded First Midwest Group. Under his leadership, the company grew into a preeminent development firm, reshaping the region with retail, office, and industrial projects, and founding enduring ventures such as the Road Ranger travel center network.

Beyond business, Mr. Puri was a dedicated humanitarian and civic partner. Guided by his mother’s advice to "water the flowers where you smell the roses," he poured his resources back into the community that embraced him. His philanthropic legacy includes the Puri School of Business at Rockford University, the Puri Family YMCA, the Salvation Army Puri Family Disaster Services Center, the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, the Perryville Path, Puri Park Disc Golf Course, donations of land for Remedies Renewing Lives and Rockford Christian Schools, among many others.

Sunil’s influence extended nationally and internationally. He advocated for stronger U.S.-India relations and traveled to India with President Bill Clinton in 2000 and 2001 and with President Barack Obama in 2010. He was appointed to the White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under President Obama and later served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center and the Presidential Commission for Scholars under President Biden. He also supported numerous global initiatives, including "Water for Dignity" in India.

Sunil was a man of deep intellect and passion, holding honorary doctorate degrees and attending executive programs at London Business School and Harvard Business School. He was actively involved with many professional organizations, including the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), and served as a board member of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) and Rockford University, among others. He was known for his tenacity, his loyalty to those he trusted, and his undying belief in the meritocracy of America.

Sunil was preceded in death by his parents, Amarnath and Chanchal Rani Puri, and his brothers, Harish, Dilip and Dinesh Puri.

He is survived by his beloved longtime partner, Candace Ross; and his children, Ashwin, Chandan, and Anjali. He also leaves behind his brothers, Vijay (Vandana) and Pravin (Suman); and his sisters-in-law, Savrina and Madhu (India). He will be deeply missed by his nephews, Bharat (USA), Tanuj (Mexico), Tushar (Canada), and Ujwal (India); and his nieces, Rakhi, Sakshi, Upasana, Prerna, and Roshni (India).

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at City First Church, 5950 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, IL 61114. A visitation will precede the service from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the church. To live stream, please click the following link; https://control.resi.io/webplayer/video.html?id=2a49a51e-fa51-4fcb-a674-17c7da88e3e0  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Puri Foundation to continue his work supporting women and children affected by abuse and poverty and helping combat food and shelter insecurity around the world.