Chicago Tribune -- Staff Sgt. Mario J. Bievre, 34, who grew up in Oak Park and Glendale Heights, died Friday near Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations, the Pentagon said.

Bievre joined the Army in 1998 and took to it immediately, said his sister, Marsha Bievre Baker, an obstetrician who lives in California.

"Being in the military was his passion. It was his life's work," she said.

Bievre had been searching for his "life's work" since graduating from Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn in 1990, trying college and various jobs before enlisting.


"He searched for some time, and when he found the military it clicked--it was the perfect fit for him," she said.

Bievre Baker said her older brother took pride in being a soldier and planned on serving in the Army until retirement. "It was a great honor for him to serve our country and defend his nation," she said. "His plan was to continue on in the military." Her brother, who was expected to return from Iraq in October, leaves behind a wife, Angela, and a 3-month-old daughter, Adrianna. The family lived near Fort Campbell, Ky., where Bievre was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).