Richard J. "Dick" Duffek
Nov. 7, 1928 - May 15, 2015
Richard James Duffek was born Nov. 7, 1928, on a farm
in Seward County, the son of James Louis and Stazie A.
(Pospichal) Duffek, and passed away on May 15, 2015, in
David City at the age of 86 years, six months
and eight days.
The family resided by the Seward and
Butler county line and Dick lived there
most of his life. He attended Dwight Assumption
School and then served in the U.S.
Navy from 1946 until his discharge in 1949.
After the service he returned home and
started his farming career.
Richard was united in marriage to Helen
Catherine Kobza on April 17, 1951, at Holy Trinity Catholic
Church in Brainard. Their marriage was blessed with five
children - Judy, Daniel, Richard A., Mark and James.
Richard farmed all of his life and was also a night
watchman at Hughes Brothers in Seward. Dick was a
board member of the Bee Cooperative, president and vice
president of the Aquinas Booster Club and received his
honorary diploma from Aquinas High School on Nov. 13,
2000. Dick was a church trustee at St. Wenceslaus Catholic
Church in Bee, where he was a longtime member. Richard
and Helen moved into Bee in 2008 from the farm.
Dick is preceded in death by his parents, James and
Stazie Duffek; his son, Richard A. Duffek; sisters and
brothers-in-law, Marie and Raymond Dobesh, Alice and
Emanuel Hain and Evelyn and Eugene “Speck” Williamson;
and brothers and sisters-in law Edmund and Delores
Duffek, and Raymond and Mary Ann Duffek.
Dick is survived by his wife, Helen Duffek, Bee; children,
Judy and her husband Bruce Barber of Lincoln;
Daniel Duffek, Seward and special friend, Susan Fisher;
Mark Duffek, Dwight, and special friend, Teresa Patrick;
and James and Jennifer Duffek, Bee; seven grandchildren,
Tony (Kelly) Duffek, Drew Duffek, Jerod Duffek (fiancé,
JonAnn Decker), Andrea (Jeremy) Schulzkump, Stazy Duffek
(Jory Shay), Jordyn Duffek and Hannah (Cory) Sabata;
four great-grandchildren, McKena and Owen Duffek and
Lane and Cole Schulzkump; other relatives and a host of
friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on
Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic
Church in Bee with Father Brendan Kelly celebrant.
Graveside services and interment will be at St. Wenceslaus
Catholic Cemetery will full military honors being
provided by Dwight American Legion Post 110.
