Wood Dale resident, 71, made life of volunteering

The walls of Raymond Drust's home are a testimony to the things he loved in life.

There's pictures of family, of course. But then there's all the plaques for his years of service with Wood Dale's Lions' Club, zoning board of appeals, library board and Knights of Columbus. There also are photos of him meeting Sen. Paul Simon, Gov. Jim Edgar and Mayor Harold Washington, to name a few.

But in the end, what his wife, Dolores, remembers him for is being a loving husband and wonderful father to five daughters.

Drust, 71, recently died after a long struggle with diabetes and a heart condition.

Drust first found his heart in Dolores after an attempt at dating one of her girlfriends.

"Somehow, she went on to someone else, I guess," Dolores recalled.

Then he went off to fulfill military obligations, spending 18 months in Germany. When Drust returned home, he found himself paired up with Dolores.

"I didn't even write to him while he was away," she said. "But when he came back, he gave me a call and asked me for a date. Something clicked. We were married about a year later."

As a father, Drust spent many hours attending the sporting events his daughters participated in. When he wasn't doing that, he'd take them camping or teach them to fix their cars.

"He was very big on teaching our daughters to be pro-active and independent," Dolores Drust said.

When it came time, he did similar activities with his five grandchildren, playing cards or Battleship.

Dolores Drust said there's no doubt most people will remember her husband for his energy and community service.

"He did it because he was curious about what was going on in the community," she said. "To know what's going on, you have to be part of it and participate."

The Oaks Funeral Home in Itasca will host services for Drust from 3 to 8 p.m., today. Mass at St. Peter the Apostle Church will be at 9:30 a.m., Monday. Interment follows at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery.