Theodore Martin Dukaish
Theodore Martin Dukaish, passed away at his residence on Saturday, October 19. He was 70 years old.
Ted was the son of Helen and Stephen B. Dukaish. He was born March 1949 and lived his whole life in Conneautville, PA. He graduated from Cambridge Springs Joint High School, going on to monitor and repair oil and gas wells, and, eventually, working independently on any challenging problems people would bring to him. His knowledge was extensive. When a problem couldn’t be figured out, Ted usually found a solution.
He was always curious, always thinking, and always quick to give technical aid to anyone who needed it. He had a generous heart and a soft spot for cats. “Here pus, pus,” was a common affectionate phrase heard from Ted. Another often-heard phrase was, “That’s a communist plot!” He was unsatisfied with the process of government and disgusted with the misused power and influence of big businesses.
Ted was an independent soul and was not swayed by the superficial judgments of others. On any given day of the year, Ted could be found working outside. Though surrounded by dirty, oily, rusty remnants of past projects and the materials of future solutions, he was careful to maintain cleanliness of himself. Understanding how destructive some habits could be, he never drank and never smoked--wanting nothing to do with tobacco and alcohol, which he referred to as “drugs.”
Ted was a keeper of history and enjoyed sharing stories about things that have come and gone, things that remain but were forgotten. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him.
Ted is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Stephen. He is survived by his half-sister, Evelyn Rogers, his niece Stephennie (Dukaish) Kinney, his niece Marjorie (Dukaish) Theis, and his nephew Stephen Dukaish Jr.
Interment will be at Conneautville Cemetery.
The family welcomes stories from those who knew him in childhood and adulthood. Please send your anecdotes to the following address: Attn: Marjorie Theis, PO Box 750188 Fairbanks, AK 99775