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husband, father, brother, friend...(continued)
Duaine enjoyed sports and played at many of them when he was younger with his brothers, Ken and Roger. He had a life long passion for baseball and played till he was 40 on the company team. We have joked that in our next lifetime together, he would return, as a major league baseball player and I would come back with a terrific singing voice (like Barbara Streisand or Celine Dion).
He was a loyal and dedicated employee for 35 years at Eckrich/Beatrice Foods. We spent 23 years in Fort Wayne. Duaine took early retirement when the company was bought out. It probably saved years of his life, as the pressures continually mounted for executives. I know he would agree to the euphemism that you don't cross over to the other side and say, "Gee, I wish I had worked more hours for the company."
Duaine enjoyed fishing when he was growing up in Michigan. We had a one-acre pond he stocked with fish at our Indiana home, Rainbow's Embrace, which was on 7.77 acres. When the airport called to pick up the fish, the supplier had failed to mention it would be C.O.D. so those turned out to be expensive Blue Gills, perch, etc. We thought that our last "dream home" but the Universe had other plans for us and we moved to Arizona in 1989 and carved out a new life here.
Duaine appreciated being part of Unity Church with its positive emphasis on love, affirming God is the only power and that we are all spiritual beings evolving. He served on the board of Unity of Christ Church in Fort Wayne for six years and was a congregant for many years.
A dream Duaine had this past year was that he had died; and from the Other Side, he peeked in to check on me to see how I was doing. He was delighted to see me lying in bed with a puppy. When he related that dream, he had a sparkle in his eye and said he wanted me to get a dog after he passed on. His dream came true on Saturday, March 28, when the Universe conspired to bring a miniature apricot poodle, now named "Peaches," into my life.
Gibran said it well:
"When you are sorrowful, look again in your hearts and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."
Duaine lives on in the hearts of those who loved him, vibrating now to a different measure behind a veil we cannot see, but we have only to call his name and he will be here shining on!
Truly, LOVE never dies! Our forever love lives only one breath and heartbeat and away To Where You Are.
Thank you so much for joining me in celebrating Duaine's life.
From my heart,
