Bernard J. Drueding Jr., 86, builder

Bernard J. Drueding Jr., 86, of Radnor, a retired builder who helped establish a program for homeless women and children, died of a pulmonary embolism Feb. 27 at Bryn Mawr Hospital.

After retiring from a 40-year career as a home builder, Mr. Drueding devoted his time to the Drueding Center/Project Rainbow, a transitional-housing program in Kensington. The center had previously been an infirmary for employees of the leather and chamois processing factory his family operated in the 1930s and 1940s.

When the factory closed, the infirmary became a nursing home run by the Sisters of the Holy Redeemer with support of the Drueding Family Foundation. In 1985, the sisters suggested to the foundation that the facility could be better used as transitional housing. Mr. Drueding became an adviser to the center and helped raise more than $1 million to convert an adjacent warehouse into an after-care program to help the formerly homeless women maintain self-sufficiency.

In 2002, he received the Hearthstone Builder Lifetime Public Service Award from the National Association of Home Builders for his commitment to Drueding Center/Project Rainbow.

Mr. Drueding grew up in Mount Airy and graduated from St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's University.

During World War II, he served in the Navy aboard the destroyer escort Robert Brazier in the Philippines campaign.

After his discharge, Mr. Drueding worked for Lower Merion builder Thomas H. Kelley for 10 years before establishing his own firm, B.J. Drueding Realtors in Penn Wynne. For the next 30 years, he built homes in Lower Merion and Radnor Townships. He was past president of the Main Line Builders Association; director on the Main Line Board of Realtors; and was active with the Second Haverford Corp., a group of builders who collaborated on development projects.

Mr. Drueding was a member of the Philadelphia Gourmet Club, the Columbus Social Club, and the Overbrook Golf Club. "Dad's main interests were people," his son Bernard III said. He was a kid at heart, his son said, and loved playing with his grandchildren.

In addition to his son, Mr. Drueding is survived by his wife of 60 years, Catherine Drennan Drueding; a son Edward; daughters Karen Rinaldi, Marianne Cornely, Patricia Stokes and Jane Ryan; a sister; 17 grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

A Funeral Mass was said Monday at St. Katharine of Siena Church in Wayne. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.

Memorial donations may be made to the Drueding Center/Project Rainbow, 413 W. Master St., Philadelphia 19122.