Harry Duane Hirsch of Plano, Texas passed away on June 1, 2021 at the age of 97.
He was born on February 29, 1924 to Harry Hyman Hirsch and Florence Hildegarde (Peterson) Hirsch in Bloomington, Illinois. Duane spent his early years in the Missouri Ozarks where his father was a minister, before the family moved to Deep River, Iowa, where he finished high school. Duane proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was guarding Navy Pier on V-E Day.
He received his bachelor’s degree in general business and electrical engineering from the University of Colorado. Duane continued to be a proud Buffalo and continued cheering for his football team throughout his life. He started work at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as an electrical engineer. Duane was working at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington DC during the Cuban missile crisis. His work was largely classified, but he also did work on the Apollo mission, then moved to work with Texas Instruments in 1972 and finished his career there.
While square dancing, Duane met and married Barbara Ann Baldwin after a whirlwind romance on July 26, 1958 in Monticello, Iowa. He and Barbara eventually settled in Richardson, Texas where they raised their children, Sharon, Randy, and Philip attending Plano ISD where Barbara taught in the High School. Duane and Barbara were married for 37 years until Barbara’s death in 1996.
He later married Maria “Tere” Teresa Sepulveda Cline in 2011 who had also been a teacher with Barbara at PSHS. Duane and Tere were taking a class together and she helped him find a Mexican cookbook for his daughter’s birthday and they started going out for coffee. They took a honeymoon to San Juan. Duane and Tere also enjoyed square dancing, taking classes, eating out, and watching baseball together. Later on, when they were apart, they would talk every day at 7 pm where they would end the call by saying, “dream with the angels.”
Duane’s hobbies included woodworking and in his earlier days he helped his Uncle Roy on his ranch in Colorado. He enjoyed waterskiing, basketball, and camping. Duane took his family on many trips around the country to the national parks. After he retired, Duane became involved in volunteering for organizations such as Network Community of Ministry in Richardson. He was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church of Richardson for over 50 years.
Duane is survived by his wife, Maria Teresa Sepulveda Cline Hirsch of San Antonio, Texas; children, Sharon Hirsch of Madison, Wisconsin, Randall Hirsch and wife, Debbie of Ft. Mill, South Carolina, and Philip Hirsch and Ken Chau of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, Sterling Ruemmler, Ellie Ruemmler, Emma Ruemmler, Holly Hirsch, Kayla Hirsch, Jason Hirsch and wife, Ansley; brother, William A. Hirsch and wife, Irma Lou of Kansas City, Missouri; brother-in-law, Jim Gleason of Topeka, Kansas; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by Tere’s daughters, Elizabeth Cline-Rew and spouse, Charlotte, Carla White and husband, Kevin; grandchildren, Kim Murphy and husband, Brian and Matt White; and great-granddaughter, Caroline Murphy.
Duane was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Florence Hirsch; wife, Barbara Ann Hirsch; and sister. Mary Ellen ‘Micke’ Gleason.
The family will receive friends during a visitation starting at 6:00 p.m., Friday, June 11, 2021 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013.
A funeral service will be held at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, June 12, 2021 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Duane’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/harry-duane-hirsch. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location.
Following the funeral service, a procession will make its way to Ridgeview Memorial Park for a committal service.
Memorial donations may be made in memory of H. Duane Hirsch to Network of Community Ministry in Richardson, TX. https://thenetwork.org/donate-today/