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Dedicated volunteer at Schaumburg's Trickster Center dies after COVID-19 fight

Angel Salas, a Vietnam-era veteran, sun dancer of the Native American Lakota Nation and frequent volunteer for the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg, died Monday at the age of 70 of complications from COVID-19.

The Wood Dale resident's volunteerism, especially his assistance to his fellow veterans, was chronicled by the Daily Herald in January.

Salas died, surrounded by family, after being hospitalized with the coronavirus for almost a month and experiencing complications that resulted in multiorgan failure.

A fire was lit in his honor Tuesday at the Trickster Cultural Center and will continue to burn until his burial Friday afternoon.

A fund has been set up at tricksterculturalcenter.salsalabs.org/angel-salas-fund/index.html to assist his family with the burial and other expenses.

In January, the father of nine told the Daily Herald that assisting others in need always has been a priority. He attributed his desire to serve others to the spirituality he received from his parents and grandparents.

"There are so many different ways we can help people," he said. "You humble yourself to serve people."

Among the ways he volunteered at the Trickster Center was through the skills he acquired as a contractor for the business his late brother began 40 years ago.

His work at the center on Roselle Road included building a bigger and better kitchen, constructing displays for new exhibits, redoing the floors and cleaning the walls.

Last year, Salas began taking part in a new endeavor at Trickster - collecting and distributing food for veterans stuck at home due to the pandemic.

He also organized talking circles, which help participants heal mental and behavioral issues by sharing their experiences with others.

Among the other Lakota practices he followed was the use of sweat lodges as places to pray and cure health problems.

Originally from Del Rio, Texas, Salas came to the Chicago area with his family in 1967 when he was 17. He was drafted by the Army in 1970, was stationed with the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and then with an engineering company in Germany, and served until 1973.

Salas said he felt a deep kinship with all veterans but traced his interest in volunteerism to the earlier generations of his family.

"This is a way of life for me," he said. "My parents and grandparents were always like that. I'm 70 years old and I still remember the words of my grandparents. ... We will continue. When I'm gone, I believe my children will carry on what I'm doing."

A visitation for Salas will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Trickster Cultural Center, 190 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg, ahead of the burial Friday afternoon.

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