Richard Eugene Trutter was born in Springfield, Illinois, on April 23, 1929, the second of three sons of Edward Lawrence Trutter and Eda Louise Bergschneider. He attended Blessed Sacrament Grade School, Cathedral Boys' High School and Springfield Junior College - all in Springfield, Illinois. After attending Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa (1948-49), he was received into the novitiate at St. Peter Martyr Priory, Winona, Minnesota, by the Master of the Order, Emmanuel Suarez, on September 29, 1949, and was given the religious name Simon.

On September 30, 1950, he made his first profession of vows at St. Peter Martyr Priory and was assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, where he pursued his philosophical studies (1950-53). He made his solemn profession there on September 30, 1953, and was assigned to St. Rose of Lima Priory, Dubuque, Iowa, for his theological studies (1953-57). There on May 25, 1957 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Edward Hoban of Cleveland, Ohio. His first Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Church, Springfield, Illinois.

Father Trutter's first assignment in ministry was as associate pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, River Forest, Illinois (1957-64). He served as associate pastor in several other parishes: St. Pius V Parish, Chicago, Illinois (1964-65); Nativity Parish, Campti, Louisiana (1965- 66); and St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana (1966- 69). In 1969 he was appointed pastor of St. Hyacinth Parish, Amarillo, Texas, where he served until l 971. After spending a year in sabbatical studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology, Dubuque, Iowa, he began the first of two campus ministry assignments: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona (1972-74) and three colleges in Colorado Springs, Colorado (1974-77). In 1977 he returned to parish ministry at St. Rose Church, Rushville, Illinois, which enabled him to care for his aging mother. After serving the parish for twelve years, he entered the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village, Illinois (1989 - 90) in preparation for his final major area of ministry, hospital chaplaincy. He served at St. John Hospital, Springfield, Illinois (1990-92), and finally at St. Vincent Hospital, Taylorville, Illinois (1992-99).

In August 1999 Father Trutter was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a few months to live. He prepared himself for death, but as he was experiencing no pain from the cancer and felt well, he returned to part-time hospital ministry at St. Vincent Hospital. In December of 1999 it was determined that the cancer had spread, and he gradually grew weaker. Supported by a hospice program, he was able to remain in the chaplain's quarters until his weakness required his transfer to St. Vincent Hospital proper at the end of

January. There he died in the early morning hours of February 5, 2000. A wake and Funeral Mass were held at St. Mary ' s Church, Taylorville, Illinois, on February 8th and on February 9th a second wake and Funeral Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer Priory, River Forest, Illinois, his house of assignment. Burial was on February 10, 2000, in the Dominican plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.