LADYSMITH, Wis. -- Hundreds of people packed the Ladysmith High School gymnasium over the weekend to mourn the death of a. U.S. Army reservist who was severely injured in Iraq last May and died at his home a week ago.

Sfc. Anthony Raymond Wasielewski, 50, had been recovering from injuries suffered in a roadside bombing at Ramadi. He was with C Company, 397th Engineer Battalion in Wausau.

Wasielewski previously served a year in Afghanistan, and he had more than 20 years in the Army Reserve when the unit was reactivated in July 2006.

Relatives said that he could have retired from the military then but chose to stay with his unit.

Sfc. Patrick Lesik said Wasielewski was like a father figure to the younger soldiers and will be greatly missed.

Wasielewski suffered severe back injuries in the bombing. He underwent surgery in Germany and then was treated for several months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at a Veterans Administration hospital in Minnesota before returning to his Ladysmith home.

The funeral was held on Saturday.