A Long, Full Life of Giving

Donation protected

Del Raby was a shining example of giving, giving and then giving some more.

It is with great sadness that he passed away on September 12th, at 97. With Del's passing outside support is no longer needed. We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support and kind words from so many friends and family. The fund will help pay for final costs and any funds remaining will be administered by Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary to support other seniors who have lived longer than their incomes lasted.

Del gave of himself longer than most people can even remember. The son of Salvation Army officers, Del is a World War II vet who helped protect our country, an Eagle Scout who made a career of passing on life skills to boys as a Boy Scout professional, and a lifelong Rotarian who served as District Governor in 1992/93 (and with 62 years perfect meeting attendance!). Del always sought out ways to improve the lives of those around him.

Del reached the age where independent living was no longer an option. He outlived two wives and did not have children of his own- Rotary and Boy Scouts were his family. While his mind remained sharp, his balance showed the years, falls were happening more often, technology couldn’t fix his hearing and he needed to have someone present 24/7. Del needed a new environment to ensure he was safe, and nourished, his personal needs looked after with dignity.

Del was too busy giving his whole life to focus on making a lot of money. But if one counts riches by the number of people who love him, Del would be on the cover of Fortune magazine. Del was a constant presence at community service projects well into his 90’s- boxing food at Redwood Empire Food Bank, Santa Rosa Creek cleanups, feeding the homeless at a shelter, transplanting veggie starts at Forget Me Not Farm- the list of his work goes on and on.