Duane B. Dietrich

Duane Berbie Dietrich, 79, passed away at his home in Topeka, on January 28, 2011, at 6:06 p.m., surrounded by his loving wife of 54+ years, Doris Jean, his daughter, Cindy Sue, and his son, Jeffrey Jay. He was born March 27, 1931, at Carbondale, KS, the son of Martin and Gleda (Crocker) Dietrich.

Duane's early years were spent on the family farm in Osage County, near Carbondale, KS, moving into Carbondale for his high school years. Life on the farm was hard with no modern conveniences; The Great Depression, the extreme heat and ice storms of the Dirty Thirties, the loss of a number of cattle, and his father declining in health.

His childhood activities included mostly chores, running around the pasture to bring in the cattle, hitting wood-borers that had infested their barn held together by pegs, and playing with his two pet dogs, Shag and Tuffy. He attended Toehead Grade School and graduated from Carbondale Rural High School in 1949, where he was president of his senior class and valedictorian. Duane played basketball, baseball, and trombone in high school. After high school, he worked briefly in construction, the office that issues vehicle license plates, and as a bank collector and bookkeeper, before entering the U.S. Navy.

One of the accomplishments Duane was most proud of was his service to his country in the U.S. Navy. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on January 25, 1951, as a Seaman Recruit 2, in the midst of the Korean War. Duane completed basic training and graduated from U.S. Naval School, Yeomen Class "A", U.S. Naval Training Center, San Diego, CA, on June 29, 1951, as a YNSA. The majority of his U.S. Naval career was spent aboard the U.S.S. McCoy Reynolds, Destroyer Escort (DE-440), in the Korean War, and later throughout the Pacific Command.

During periods of combat, he performed communications duties for the Captain of the ship. He grew to love Hawaii, which was his home port. Duane rose in rank during his service, and as a Yeoman Second Class, was awarded a citation for his meritorious attention to duty from April 1, 1953 through September 11, 1953, while serving on board the vessel as the ship's writer. He was appointed as Yeoman First Class (YN1), on May 16, 1954.

Duane's decorations, medals, badges, commendations, citations and campaign ribbons awarded or authorized included: United Nations, KPUC, National Defense Good Conduct, China Service, Korean Service, 2 stars. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy at the rank of Yeoman First Class (YN1), on December 17, 1954.

Upon leaving the U.S. Navy, Duane returned to Topeka, where he began attending Washburn University, full-time, in the spring semester. He also began working part-time for the State of Kansas. He graduated from Washburn University in 1958, with a Bachelor's of Business Administration-Accounting degree.

Duane continued working for the State of Kansas, full-time, upon his graduation from Washburn University, where he was promoted through the ranks. He retired as head accountant of a department for the State of Kansas in July 1993, with 42 years of service to the State of Kansas, counting his U.S. Navy time.

While attending a dance in the latter part of 1955, held by the dance studio where he was taking dance lessons, he met his future wife. Duane was married August 26, 1956, to Doris Jean Tuffley at East Topeka Methodist Church, in Topeka. They honeymooned in Colorado Springs, CO, where they later vacationed with their grown children. They have resided in Shawnee County and Topeka their entire married life. Duane and Doris traveled throughout the majority of the U.S. while their children were young, and they took the surviving grandparents along for the trips.

Duane enjoyed traveling Kansas with his family to hunt quail, pheasant, ducks, geese, doves, and prairie chickens. He even accompanied his wife, whom was a contestant, to a Pillsbury Bake-Off in Santa Monica, CA, and an egg-cooking contest in Chicago, IL. Duane and Doris ran a sandwich shop in downtown Topeka in 1973. Duane looked forward to his yearly trips to Iowa to buy nursery stock, which supported his hobby of growing fruit and nut trees and berries. He entered his produce in the Shawnee County Fair contests for many years.

In 1995, Duane took his family to Hawaii to see some of the places he had been during his time in the U.S. Navy. In later years, he spent much of his time beautifying his yard with flowers, and loved to watch the variety of birds and wildlife that would come to his yard.

Duane enjoyed spending time with his family, the outdoors, wildlife, especially Canadian geese, mallard ducks, elk, and moose, national parks, the fall foliage, looking at pictures of covered bridges, hunting, watching K.U. and K-State football and basketball games, listening to music, gardening, watching movies, in particular "Those Calloways", "McClintock", "Steel Magnolias", "Fried Green Tomatoes," "Friendly Persuasion," the "Vacation" and "Police Academy" series of movies, "Funny Farm," "Uncle Buck," "Field of Dreams,' "The Christmas Box," and westerns and war movies, traveling, jokes, decorating the house for Christmas, making up trick-or-treat bags, reading, paint-by-number pictures, board games, jigsaw puzzles, dominoes, Currier and Ives pictures, and was a fan of the K.C. Chiefs and Royals.

His wife's uncle commented to Duane that his paint-by-number pictures looked like free-hand professional paintings. Duane liked to play card games like solitaire, pitch, and Canasta, letting his wife beat him at Canasta the first time the night before their daughter was born.

He loved music of all types, which spanned from Sousa marches, Johnny Cash, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Christmas carols, Irish, Polka, bagpipes, Jamaican steel drums, marimba, Hawaiian, Country, Classical, and instrumental (e.g. French horn, electric steel guitar, harpsichord, harps, and xylophone).

Duane went to sleep at night to the song "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" and he loved the songs, "Greensleeves," "Wimoweh ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight")," "Wheels," "Drums are My Beat," "White Sports Coat," "Winchester Cathedral," "Waltzing Matilda," "A Little Bitty Tear," "Yellow Bird," "My Yellow Ginger Lei," "My Little Grass Shack," "Hilo Hattie," "Little Brown Girl," "Sunday Morning Coming Down," "Deep Purple," "Family Traditions," "Kaw-liga," "March from Aida," "Pomp and Circumstance, "Cool, Clear Water," "Sailing," and "Rose Garden."

Relating stories to his family regarding his memories of his life events and everyday activities that would come to mind brought great joy to Duane.

He was a member of the American Legion. Duane supported the Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America, as well as various Native American schools and the Capper Foundation.

Although Duane had numerous health problems and other challenges in life, he met each one bravely to the very end. He will be deeply missed by his family. They will forever be immensely proud of Duane, and remember him as a loving, decent, and moral man.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Jean Dietrich, daughter, Cindy Sue Dietrich, son, Jeffrey Jay Dietrich, and several cousins, nephews, and nieces. Duane was preceded in death by his parents, parent-in-laws, and two sisters, Patricia and Betty Engler.

The family welcomes floral arrangements, or memorial contributions may be directed to Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, or the Capper Foundation.