Joseph Albert Duerringer

Joseph A. Duerringer III, age 94, died on August 18, 2020. What follows is Joe’s life story told in his own words. I was born in Toledo on August 6, 1926 to Joseph A. Duerringer, a lieutenant in the city fire department and to Oveta Messmore, a secretary. I also had a younger brother William (Bill). I attended Auburndale Grade School, Robinson Jr. High, and graduated From Devilbiss High school in 1944. Later I went to the University of Toledo where I graduated in 1961 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I have to tell you that I still remember my first semester when I took 17 credit hours at the staggering cost of $53. One night at the Trianon Ballroom, the best place to listen to big band music and and dance the night away, I met Marvel Whipple. That was 1946, and by 1947 we were married. Boy, that girl could dance! Let me take you back in time a bit. My family moved from the South End to the Auburndale neighborhood in 1934 when I was in third grade. I landed my first job at age 11 delivering handbills from 3:00 to 6:00 pm two days a week, making a whopping 50 cents—which as I figure was about eight cents an hour. But with The Great Depression in full swing, I was lucky to get that job! Soon after, I pulled down a substitute Blade carrier position, filling in for the regular boy when he was on vacation. Anyone remember the old Avalon Theater? Well, I took a job as an usher when I was 15. Ushers wore these snappy uniforms and I worked six nights a week and usually two matinees and earned $6.25 a week or 20 cents an hour. I was definitely moving up in the world. When I was 16 and still in high school, I landed a job at Acklin Stamping, a defense plant making shells for the war effort. Now I hauled in 80 cents an hour with a 5-cent bonus for night work. Once I graduated from high school I worked at The Airway Company where radar equipment was tested. One of the best and most important facets of my life has revolved around music. Like many kids during the 1930’s, I dreamed of being in a band. Of course, knowing how to play an instrument was imperative. I decided I would learn to play the piano. We had a piano in our home and my mother played. She sat with me to teach me the basics, and I was off and running, determined to become a piano player. All that practice did pay off. I got together with some friends to form our own band, and since I was “rich” having had all those well-paying jobs, I purchased all our music and arrangements. I struck gold in my junior year of high school when I was asked to be the pianist in Don Lee’s Big Band. I knew I still needed to hone my skills, so I finally took “real” piano lessons from Harold Harder for four months. Right after graduating from high school, Don Lee’s Big Band took a job at Indian Lake, Ohio. We played seven nights a week for at least four hours a night and jammed ever afternoon. By the end of that season, I was a good big band pianist and my dream had become reality. I continued playing in big bands for another 50 years. I took a job at Airway Electric, played piano on weekends in various big bands, and started at The University of Toledo at night. The schedule was crazy, but I was young and determined. While at Airway I met Clyde Craig who was my very good friend for many years. I married my wife Marvel in 1947 and continued working at Airway until I took a job at Kopf Motor Sales in 1948. I was a new car technician and radio repairman during the day and a U.T. student at night. Now we were making enough money so Marvel and I could afford to leave her parent’s home and purchase our own—a tiny travel-size trailer on Monroe Street. The trailer was so small it had no bathroom, so for three years the call of nature meant running for the community bathroom. In the winter, we learned to run really fast! What a great place. We were called ”the kids” by our neighbors and entertained them with our summer water fights! In 1951 we purchased a house and my red-headed daughter Valerie was born in October of that year. In 1954, I became the proud dad of Robert. We were so proud and happy to be parents! In 1955, at the suggestion of my good friend Clyde Craig, who had become an electrician, I went to work at Mitchell Electric Co. as a purchasing agent. And nights? Yep, I was still pursuing that degree at U.T. at night. That Electrical Engineering Degree finally became reality in 1961. Thank you, Marvel, for your support and patience during those crazy years. In 1962, Clyde Craig, who now owned a successful electrical contracting business heard that Macomber Vocational High School was looking for a teacher. I took that position and taught Electrical Construction for 25 years, until I retired in 1988. During the summer months I worked for Clyde as an electrical estimator. In 1971 I was appointed to a committee to help write the Ohio Achievement Examinations for electrical students. Shortly after that I served on a committee to help revise and rewrite examinations for Toledo’s electrician and contractor licenses. I guess one thing leads to another, because I was elected to the Toledo Electrical Board of Control and was then elected chairman and served in the position for eight years. The Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (BEW) had their training classes at Macomber High School in the evenings. I started to substitute in their program, but before I knew it was appointed to the faculty. I continued to teach night school for 18 years. And, yes, I was still playing for bands on weekend nights. My life has been filled with great fortune and much fun. I loved sports and ice skated as a kid and later took my kids to Ottawa Park to ice skate. I loved to swim and no vacation was complete without swimming with the kids in every motel pool. We put a pool up in our backyard so we could take a dip and play water games together. Speaking of games—I just loved games of all types: Checkers, euchre, Skip-Bo, Hearts (which I always won—right kids?), but best of all was Duplicate Bridge. My wife and I played that great game for every bit of 50 years, meeting so many great people during that time. I bowled in teachers’ leagues and ma and pa leagues with Marvel. I played Saturday golf with friends, which probably drove Marvel nuts since I was gone all day, but of course the kids didn’t mind, because that meant mom took them to McDonalds for burgers, fries, and shakes. Later, Marvel and the kids joined in, and we golfed together. Badminton matches were great, and I played handball at the downtown YMCA for many years not giving up the game until I was in my 60’s. Of course, I was part of the racquetball craze as well. Yes indeed, the years have flown past. I’m so proud of Val and Bob, my kids, and most of all my fantastic wife, Marvel, who shared my life for 72 years and was my support, my partner and greatest love! That’s Joe’s story, but his family is like their dad . . . talk, talk, talk. So let us just tell you how proud we are of our dad. He was an AARP’s volunteer for 30 year helping hundreds of people with tax assistance. He was mom’s driver for eight years when they delivered Mobile Meals. Our dad worked crazy hours but never missed dinner where we talked about the day and most importantly, what we learned at school that day. He never missed a ball game or a piano recital. Dad always believed in family vacations; Washington DC, Williamsburg, Upper Michigan, the Wild West, Disney World and more. Oh the stories we could tell and will tell for years to come. Dad, you were the greatest. And you, my dear husband, was my best friend and the love of my life. Joe is survived by his wife, Marvel; his daughter, Valerie Napieralski (John); his son Robert (Sue); granddaughter Emily Czerniejewski (Josh), grandson Dylan Czerniejewski, and many wonderful nephews and nieces—all who added joy to his life. Our thanks to the wonderful people at Northwest Hospice who showed so much kindness, patience, and caring to our family. Should you want to honor Joe’s life with a contribution, please consider directing it to Hospice of Northwest Ohio 30000 River Rd Perrysburg, OH 43551 or a charity of your choice.