David Peter Traut, 69, passed away February 17, 2019 at Hinsdale Hospital.

He was born in 1949 in Oak Park to a family of five sisters and one brother.  He attended Marquette University graduating in 1971, retiring from a long career with his brother, Richard M. Traut, at Follett in logistics, ultimately serving as the Vice President of Operations.  During his tenure at Follett, David served on the Board of Directors of Reading is Fundamental in Chicago.

He is survived by his wife Rosemary C. White-Traut, his children, Jennifer “Jennie” M. (Lawrence), Michael “Mike” F. (Claire), and Brian J. (Alia); grandchildren Dean Everett, Henry David, and Elowin Patricia; his siblings Valerie Lyon, Richard Traut, Julianna “Julie” Hummel, Mary Sullivan, Sarah McConnell, and Martha Onkka; and twenty-seven nieces and nephews.  He is preceded in death by his parents Eugene Fagan Traut, MD and Cora Wilma Wiseman Traut, sister-in-law Charron Follett Traut and nieces Victoria Ann Traut and Julie Elizabeth Sullivan.

David’s legacy will be his love and dedication to his family.   As a husband, David was quick to lighten the mood with a clever joke.  Rosemary would agree that he was a much better cook than her. David’s constant support of Rosemary in her rigorous career as the Department Head for the Department of Women, Children, and Family Health Science at the University of Illinois and more recently as Director of Nursing Research at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin fueled their mutual respect for one another.  When David and Rosemary were newlyweds, they made their home in Hinsdale, near David’s brother and among many of the Traut family.  Rosemary and David relished the challenge of raising their children with each of their individual personalities. David pioneered the role of the equal partner in parenting, long before internet blogs popularized the term. His fun and caring nature along with Rosemary’s no-nonsense approach to life served as a solid foundation for his three children to flourish.

David had innumerable hobbies and keen interests.  David took every childhood project ten times more seriously than his children.  He wouldn’t settle for anything less than first place for Michael’s pinewood derby competition.  Jennie’s senior year of high school, he took it upon himself to research her architectural history project with leisurely but focused trips to the Chicago Historical Society when she was overloaded with other responsibilities.

There were, of course, no shortage of projects at home or at the Traut Family Log Cabin.  Rosemary and all three kids were tapped for physical labor to support the laundry-list of “To-Dos” at the Log Cabin.  Brian’s memory of accidentally dropping a heavy wood joist on his father’s thumb while assembling an over-designed deck is recounted with awe, as he didn’t utter a word of pain.  Being a member of the Traut family requires an incredibly high tolerance for pain, as it isn’t out of the ordinary to have at least one reluctant trip to the emergency room over the summer.  His days at the cabin were filled with projects, laying on the pier, pest control duties and giving boat tours around the lake.  At some point, Rosemary’s strong hand enabled David to finally embrace his green thumb and even enjoy the planting and weeding processes.  His sense of duty to maintain the Log Cabin, being the third generation of Log Cabin stewards, was always welcomed because, at the end of the day, the whole family always came together on the front porch for gruesome medical stories and family gossip.

David had a substantial influence on his children’s professional paths as they grew up in their loving Hinsdale home.   All of David’s hobbies were his children’s. Building anything, big or small, was a teaching activity disguised by the fun nature of the chore.  Jennie pursued architecture and structural engineering after being encouraged to dig-in and use her hands with her brothers.  Mike attended David’s alma mater, Marquette University, and both Brian and Mike pursued logistics and supply-chain management, just like their father.

As his children matured, David’s strong work ethic continued to rub off on his children and his children’s interests started to rub off on him.  Whether it was picking up bad habits from his sons like smoking cigars and drinking Irish whiskey, or a new-found love of Mid-Century Modern furniture or country music, David also learned to love new hobbies to add to his long list from his children.

David is an irreplaceable presence to his family and friends. He will be missed dearly by all who met him.

David’s visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 20^th, from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St., Countryside, Illinois 60525.  The funeral mass will be held on Thursday, February 21^st,  at 10:00 am at St. Francis Xavier Church, 124 N. Spring Ave, La Grange, Illinois 60525. Interment to follow at Bronswood Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Traut Family Scholarship Fund with the University of Illinois (https://nursing.uic.edu/alumni/give-now/) or Pathways.org.