ST. JOSEPH – Junior Lee Duitsman, 82, of St. Joseph passed away peacefully on Friday morning (July 22, 2016) at Presence Covenant Medical Center, Urbana.
Junior was born on Jan. 25, 1934, in Champaign County, the son of Pete and Tena Bluhm Duitsman. He married Charlene "Champ" Huls on Oct. 25, 1956, in Royal. She preceded him in death on Dec. 16, 1995. Also preceding him in death were infant twin sons Kevin and Kyle and his parents.
Junior is survived by his son, Doug (Denise) Duitsman of Brighton, Ill., and their children, Kaeden Kessinger, Kyle Duitsman and Catey Duitsman; daughter, Staci (Jon) Gray of Naperville and their children, Hailey and twins Drew and Ryan Gray; sister, Corrine Lomax of Lake Forest; brother, Gayle (Sharon) Duitsman of St. Joseph; brother-in-law, Elvin Huls of Ogden; and several nieces and nephews and their families.
He had a strong faith in the Lord and his family was his true pride and joy. He was the proud Opa to his six amazing grandchildren. He loved to surprise them with unique gifts he built just for them - a tandem bike, sandbox, sawhorses, toy boxes and machine sheds.
Junior was a charter member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, and also served as president of the church council.
He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1956 to 1958. During this time, he traveled throughout Europe, assisting in the design and construction of bridges.
Junior developed a passion for building and construction at a very early age, starting with an erector set his parents gave him as a child. His natural talent and eye for quality craftsmanship were the foundation of his custom home and commercial construction business, Duitsman Construction, which he operated for 50-plus years.
Junior enjoyed all aspects of history and traveling to new places. He was a proud owner of a Mustang and Thunderbird convertible - a true Ford fan.
Always busy and always curious, Junior was a firm believer in working hard. But those who knew him best understood his even stricter devotion to relishing his downtime. His motto was, "The world stops at 4 p.m. on Friday."
It didn't matter if he was enjoying the weather on his back patio, cruising in one of his convertibles or having a beverage in downtown Champaign. In his eyes, he was "rounding the sharp corners of life" and made a point to embrace it.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to Presence Covenant Medical Center, Urbana, for their hard work and compassion while caring for Junior.
They would also like to extend a special thanks to Shirley Evans, for the love and companionship she provided Junior, and the endless support she continues to provide the family.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 26, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, St. Joseph, with Pastor Jay Johnson officiating. Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, Royal.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand Ave., St. Joseph, with a prayer service at 8 p.m.
Memorials may be made to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, St. John Lutheran Cemetery or the donor's choice.
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