About Trude & Dick...
The love which Dr. Richard Zalar still feels for his wife, Trude, began in a rather unusual way. In February, 1942, he was a pre-med student at the University of Illinois when he saw a photo of Gertrude Pisut in his hometown paper, the Joliet Herald News. He had a passing acquaintance with her from high school and could now see that she had blossomed into a real beauty so he got up the nerve to write to her. It was the start of a correspondence which would span 347 letters and culminate in their marriage in September, 1944.
He was inducted into the US Army while completing his medical studies and was discharged a captain. Besides specializing in
Internal Medicine in the Chicago area and in Southern California, Dr. Zalar taught at the Chicago Medical School, the University of Illinois Medical School, Cook County Graduate School, and the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University. He has been published in numerous medical journals including the American Journal of Digestive Disorders. He was recognized by the Chicago Medical Society for 50 years of
Medicine and in 2005 he was also selected as one of America's Top Physicians
by Consumer Research Council of
America for 2004-2005.
In typical post-war baby-boom style, while Dick worked, Trude raised their two children, Dr. Richard W. Zalar, Jr. and Barbara Judy. She was named “Mother of the Year” by the Chicago Daily News in 1951. She volunteered at the hospital auxiliaries and was a den mother for the Cub Scouts and a troop leader for Brownies. She got involved in community affairs and volunteered at her children’s schools. She loved to learn and took classes in painting, music, and to prepare for a trip to Europe learned French.
Trude and Dick have two grandchildren, David and Diana Wesoloski.
Once Trude was diagnosed with Alzheimer's
Disease, Dick reduced the amount of time dedicated to his practice in order
to devote more time to Trude. He still often gets phone calls from his former patients wanting his advice. He still remains devoted to Trude, even after her death in December, 2000, and he visits her grave regularly. Their story gained national attention through a series of articles including one in the Chicago Tribune.
Their son once said that since his father failed to preserve Trude’s life, he is determined to preserve her memory. Toward that end
and to help others, who are dealing with the tragedy of Alzheimer's and
other Dementia diseases, he has founded the Gertrude P. Zalar Alzheimer Care Foundation and
the Zalar Center of Excellence Corporation.
He has also written a
book about their life together and their struggle.
