Duane Dilka, 56, of Greeley, Colorado, went to be with his Lord and Savior on May 21, 2023. He was born on October 13, 1966 in Greeley to Howard & Bonnie (Fuhrer) Dilka. Duane attended Greeley Central High School and in 1984 he joined the United States Army and serving 9 years he was Honorably Discharged in 1993. He met Sandie in 1986 telling her on their first date, "I love you, you don't have to say it back right now, but we're gonna get married!" Sandie tried to run away but on August 27, 1988 in Loveland, Colorado, Duane married the love of his life, Sandie (Seevers) Dilka and shared 34 years together.

They flew to their honeymoon in California on a 747 jet with only 7 passengers on it and the entire plane to themselves…they were treated like royalty. When they arrived at their destination, they had stuffed so many mini liquor bottles into their sleeves, shirts, pants, pockets and jackets…the bottles jingled and clanged with every step they took and they looked like sumo wrestlers walking through LAX.

Duane was an incredibly loving, kind and generous man. He made the world a better place and we are thankful to have been blessed by him in so many ways. The one word that best describes Duane is…DEDICATED. As a teenager, Duane dedicated his life to Jesus Christ and everyday he remained faithful and trusted in God's promises. He was a dedicated and devoted husband to Sandie for 34 years, a dedicated daddy to Kylie Tzu, a dedicated member of the family, a dedicated friend, a dedicated neighbor, a dedicated employee and a dedicated & inspiring leader for his work team. Duane was also observant to the needs of others including a complete stranger, he truly enjoyed helping others. Jeff Martinez and Gene Sanchez…thank you for being Duane's best friends, he sure loved getting into trouble with you two…the pranks, the Camaro, the football team, the wrestling team…the stories! He also enjoyed starting endless projects around the house or planning projects to do with all the neighbors. He especially loved his wife's "Frickin Chicken", almost as much as he despised the family recipe of "Bulgar Casserole" that he ate out of pure spite…be sure to grab a copy of the recipe, they will be provided…lol.

Duane loved his work career in management and was an excellent example of servant leadership. He was gifted and shined brightest in inventory management, distribution, shipping and receiving, logistics, process improvements, organizational efficiency and optimizing team performance to enhance operations. He earned many certifications and valued every morsel of knowledge as his Grandfather Fuhrer told him, "Learn everything, you never know when you might need it." Duane loved a challenge and he always strived for higher accuracy which made him a task-focused and a result driven manager…a truly dependable leader that you could count on and trust.

Duane is survived by his loving wife, Sandie and fur baby, Kylie Tzu; Sister; Renae Dilka and son Drew, Brother; Chuck Dilka and son Austin, Nieces; Amanda (and Charles) Hollingsworth and son, Quinton (Bogey), Kendra Dilka (and Quintin) and daughter, Charlotte, Kaitlyn Dilka, Aunts/Uncles: Jan (and Ron) Winslow, Carolyn (and Wendell) Watson, Jerry (and Jane) Fuhrer, Cousins: Rick (and Michelle) Winslow, Butch (and Wendy) Watson, Brody and Addison, Bob (and Kathy) Dilka and family, Parents-in-law: Tom and Janyce Seevers, Sister in law: Dyanne Seevers, Amanda and Evan, Kayla and Austin and Kendrick, Cousin: Penny (and Rob) Preston and family with numerous extended family members and friends.

He is preceded in death by both of his parents; and siblings; Tony Dilka, Ruth Dizman and Todd Dilka.

Burial will be at the Evans Cemetery on Friday, June 16, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. and a Celebration honoring the life of Duane will be held following from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at an open house held at 928 49th Avenue Court, Greeley, CO 80634