October 10, 1948 - December 03, 2015

Loving husband, father, grandfather, brother

Duane Marshall Theiss passed away December 3rd, 2015. Born on October 10, 1948, Duane was the youngest of three born to Harry and Frances (Rush) Theiss of Snohomish, Washington.

Duane grew up in Snohomish and attended Snohomish High School, where he was a disciplined student who earned letters in wrestling and football. He later attended the University of Washington, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1970.

It was at the University of Washington, where Duane met the love of his life, Deanna Lea (Dowdy) Theiss. Duane and Deanna were married on May 29, 1971 in Kirkland, Washington. Shortly thereafter they started a family together and established a home in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.

Duane devoted the majority of his professional life to civil service. For thirty-four years, he worked as a Chemical Engineer in the Quality Assurance Office at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.

Duane loved nature and had fun gardening, camping, feeding birds and walking on the beach. He enjoyed sports and was a season ticket holder of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners. He also had a great passion for cracking jokes and engaging in spirited political discussions.

In 2007, Duane was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. In the face of this devastating disease, he always maintained his peaceful, calm demeanor and gentle spirit. He was blessed to have his wife Deanna, who was a registered nurse, act as his caregiver for the first five years of his battle with the disease. For his final years, he was cared for by the loving, devoted staff at Aegis of Edmonds.

Duane is survived by his wife of 44 years, Deanna, his children Michael, Bryan and Krista, their spouses Janice, Jen and Jess, his grandsons Levi, Otto and Memphis and his brother James. He was preceded in death by his parents Harry and Frances and his brother William.

FUNERAL INFORMATION

A memorial service to celebrate Duane's life will be held at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle on January 30th at 2 pm.

DONATIONS

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Alzheimer Association or the UW Alzheimer Disease Research Center in Duane's honor.