Someone You Should Know: Larry Rybak

Mr. Larry Rybak was chosen from among 200 nominees nationwide by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association (NHPCO) as their 2018 Volunteer recognition award winner.

Larry accepted the award on November 6th at the NHPCO annual conference in New Orleans, joined by members of VITAS Healthcare's Chicago team.

Larry was singled out for providing 20,000 total hours of volunteer service since 2004 to VITAS, its hospice patients, and their families. The only Chicago volunteer who is fully integrated into VITAS interdisciplinary care team, Larry sometimes visits up to patients a week and cares for complicated hospice patients that new or less experienced volunteers are not able to handle. Since 2005, Larry also has facilitated weekly bereavement support groups with a VITAS Chaplin.

Larry has built a reputation for doing whatever it takes to fulfill hospice patients' wishes as they near the end of life. He has taken patients on fishing trips, casino jaunts, zoo visits, and museum excursions. He drove one patient on an emotional tour of her childhood neighborhood. With another, he played Yahtzee weekly over a two-year-period (more than 300 games), right up until the week before she passed away.

"I give the best to my patients as they make their final journey," says Larry, who is guided by the "L" word - Listening. "The most important thing is listening to what people have to say without being judgmental."

Larry is also a long-time Usher at St. Scholastical Parish.

Larry is someone everyone in Woodridge should know. Congratulations Larry, we thank you for your volunteer service.