Dec. 12, 1939 – Oct. 29, 2017
On Oct. 29, Duane “Tom” Kittson passed away in the home of his ex-wife, Avis Kittson, surrounded by his two children, Thomas Kittson and Rachel Kittson-MaQatish.
Tom and Avis were married for 13 years and then divorced. Later, when he suffered a massive stroke at the age of 52, his loving ex-wife allowed him to move into her home. She cared for him for the next 26 years.
Tom was born Dec. 12, 1939 in Salem to Fred and Edna Kittson.
He was raised off and on in Sweet Home by his mother, Edna Kittson, in Salem by his grandmother, Mary Lewis and Uncle Orlin, and lovingly mentored by his Aunt Rose and Uncle Floyd.
He briefly attended Foster Elementary School, later attended Salem school for the blind and finally returned to Foster Elementary for fifth and sixth grade.
He grew up with his three brothers Steve, Jerry and Fred Kittson. His father later provided him two sisters he came to know and love as an adult, Kim Kittson-Morris and Julie Wardle.
In the 70s Tom started Sugar City Drywall and took great pride in his work. One of his greatest gifts to his children was teaching them the value of hard work and the satisfaction from dirt-stained hands.
He has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed watching the Packers with his great-grandson, Dylan Lawrence, sitting on Avis’ front porch and watching birds and people passing by. He delighted in the company of his family and friends, and twisted tea at the Bo-Hunk.
His greatest memories were of fishing in Alaska for halibut, mushroom picking, hunting, feeding the pigs and riding his Sportster Harley.
He attended the Sweet Home Christian Church and was baptized in April 2016 by Pastor Dale Robinson.
His grandchildren and great- grandchildren will miss his chokehold forehead kisses, his candy jars and his fridge full of soda. The absence of his mouth-wide-open head-tilted-back laughs and his sense of humor will leave a void.
Avis won’t know quite what to do without the constant holler- ing of her name.
Tom had a limited vocabulary due to his stroke. So rather than struggle with words, his common phrases were: “Whatever” and “Beats the hell of of me!” He said them often and those that know him smile at the reminder of those phrases.
His stubbornness, fortitude, and generosity will live on embodied in his two children, his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Pole Barn at Community Chapel in Sweet Home.