Dec. 16--Ron Durbin, an activist in the civil rights movement and an advocate for social, economic and environmental justice, co-founded Daybreak of Lisle Transitional Housing with his wife more than 25 years ago.
Daybreak, which now maintains one house and three apartments in DuPage County, is not a homeless shelter but a program that provides rent-free housing and maintains a staff of more than 25 volunteers that offers counseling and other support services to families in need.
Durbin, a credit and marketing manager for Montgomery Ward and General Electric for 36 years before retiring and going into full-time volunteering, would meet with the families each Saturday to teach them about budgeting and finances.
"Ron shared his expertise on every level, particularly when it came to anything having to do with money and how to manage it," said Sister Mary Bratrsovsky, president of Daybreak and the prioress of Sacred Heart Monastery in Lisle. "But it was never beyond him to scrub a floor, or wash some dishes or clean a closet. His dedication to the program knew no bounds."
Durbin, 77, died of complications related to Parkinson's disease Dec. 3 at Edward Hospital in Naperville. He was a resident of Naperville, having previously lived in Lisle and Chicago.
"Ron's passion was helping those who have been marginalized," said his wife, Mary Ellen, who still volunteers with the program. "For him, the program was a way of helping people gain independence, provide for their children and feel the pride that comes in having a place to call home."
Daybreak began as a volunteer church program after Durbin and his wife took the idea to their fellow parishioners at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Lisle.
"We knew at the time that we were taking on a lot of responsibility and that there were so many unknowns," his wife said. "But with the help of prayers, hardworking volunteers and the generosity of so many, we made it work."
Since leasing its first apartment in 1989, the program has provided temporary housing to 88 families, most of them single mothers with children.
"Ron would be the first one called if anything broke or needed repair," his wife said. "He wasn't really a handyman, but he taught himself how to replace roofs, clean septic tanks and fix plumbing. What he couldn't do, he'd find someone who could, and they would often volunteer their services."
Born in Hibbing, Minn., Durbin grew up in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood and graduated from Leo Catholic High School in 1956. He earned a bachelor's degree in business management from DePaul University in 1960.
He got married in 1961 and with his wife lived on the South Side and out of state before moving to Lisle in 1981. While living on the South Side, they became involved in independent politics, which eventually led them to the open-housing campaign of late civil-rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that was launched in Chicago in 1966.
Beginning in the 1960s, Durbin worked as a credit and marketing manager for Montgomery Ward, but left there in 1992 to accept a similar position at General Electric. He retired in 2000 and served as a full-time volunteer at Daybreak until his health began to fail about a year and a half ago.
"He liked saying that starting the program was one of the best decisions of his life," his wife said.
Other survivors include two sons, Michael and Paul; a daughter, Jennifer Wright; 13 grandchildren; and a sister, Shirley Mahoney.
Services were held.
Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
