Duane Leland Jorth was born to David and Adele Jorth in Elgin IL on December 8, 1932. As he had always dreamed, Duane passed away peacefully in his own home of 52 years in Orange CA on October 26, 2025.

Duane graduated from Elgin High School in 1952. He then entered the first class of newly opened Elgin Community College (ECC). He studied business, played basketball, and he was in the first graduating class, over 70 years ago.

It was at ECC that he met his bride to-be Mary Smith. Anticipating his draft, they arranged a marriage to be sure the families could all be together. And so, December 26, 1954, was the big day.

Then they moved to Waterloo, Iowa where Duane started his work assignment with the Carnation Company. They returned to Elgin anticipating the actual draft letter. The Navy stationed him in San Diego. This was a big deal, going from the country’s heartland to the booming wild west coast. Mary bravely drove herself to San Diego to join him.  After the Navy, they moved with his job assignments to Portland OR, Los Angeles CA, and finally Orange CA. Duane was the controller of a new Carnation acquisition, Favorite Foods. He remained here until his retirement.

Duane was blessed to have and raise three sons, Bill, Steve, Tom, and a daughter, Susan. He is survived by his 3 children (Bill Tom and Susan), 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, and his sister, Linda, and her extended family. He is predeceased by his parents, wife Mary, and son Steve.

He loved all of his family dearly. On every phone call and every visit, he always asked: “How are the grandkids?” And every day, as he walked in the house from his workday, he said: “How’s the love of my life and my darling daughter?” He loved being playful with the young kids, calling them “picklepuss”. And they would tease him back, “no, you’re picklepuss”.

Getting his family acquainted with the love of nature was always important to him. He valued the national parks and was very proud of talking his family to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and many others. He valued his time with Boy Scouts, especially backpacking and related activities, and friendship of the other adult leaders.

He truly valued contributing to the St. Norbert’s Parish community for over 50 years. His accounting career offered an opportunity to  meaningfully contribute as a leader of the St. Norbert Church Counting Team. He found this to be a very rewarding role. He also enjoyed the companionship of his friends and the messages at the First Friday Friars.

In a word he was “faithful” in every sense.

Duane wanted to be remembered with this statement: "He was sincerely thankful for the love of God. He was a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend.”