Delmar Dean Dutcher was born in Fredericksburg, Iowa on July 19, 1935 the youngest of 5 to Calvin & Martha Dutcher. His father was a farmer, his mother was a 2nd grade school teacher. When Del was 6, the family moved to Santa Monica, California. He enjoyed going to the picture show on Saturdays. That’s where he began his longtime fan of being a cowboy. He was the neighborhood paperboy. He loved animals and even had a trained pet squirrel named who’s name we think was Pete.
He graduated from Santa Monica High in 1954. After graduating he joined the Air Force and while stationed in Alaska at the age of 19, he was informed by a Red Cross worker that his mother had died. It took him 4 days by train to arrive home This was a very painful time in his life.
Later while stationed in Texas he met and married his first wife-Sue. They were married for 5 years.
When he got out of the Air Force his brother Chuck encouraged him to move to Barstow, Ca. Del agreed to move but said he would only move 1 more time. He arrived in Barstow in 1964.
He worked as a milkman. These were the days when milk and dairy products were delivered to homes and many times brought right inside and put into the refrigerator. It was on one of these deliveries that Del "met" Andrea. Actually, it wasn't her in person, it was her portrait on the piano. He told himself that one day he would marry that beautiful young woman.
Shortly thereafter, while making a delivery, Andee was home. She recalls that she was ironing in the living room. After some small conversation, Del got the clear picture that she was not interested. So, he adjusted his route to avoid delivering when she was home, he couldn't face the rejection. But truth be told, Andee assumed he was married and not interested in a single mom. When it became known that Del was single, Myron, Andee's dad invited him to a Wednesday night pot-luck at the East Barstow Baptists Church. Thus, began the courtship. It was a trip up to Big Bear after getting off work late one night that Del purposed at 4am. They were married on October 16th, 1965 at the East Barstow Baptist Church.
Del, Andee, & Rick became a family and 3 years later Martha Lee was born with the adoption of Rick happening just 1 week later at the age of 5.
Del held true to his word of not moving again when he and Andee bought their home in Lenwood in 1973. Del was home when he passed on Tuesday, March 26th at 9:08am with Andee by his side.
He secured a job at the Marine Base as a Teletype Technician. He worked in building #175 at the Yermo annex. He enjoyed his work and remained in this position for over 30 years retiring in November 1994. Andee worked at the Nebo annex as an Admin Officer and retired the following February.
Del struggled with alcoholism from a very young age but decided in September 1988 to seek help and he never touched another drop! Even turning away a beer at a social event and telling his peers that when he looks at that glass of beer, he sees his family and they are too important to him.
Both his children married in 1989 and are still married today something he was very proud of. His grandson Jesse Dean Dutcher was born in 1991 and again he had another reason to smile and be proud. He loved his family and he was a loyal friend.
Throughout Del's lifetime he had a variety of hobbies and interest, from riding motorcycles, bowling a perfect game, having walls of fish tanks, rockhounding and jewelry making, to photography, and a fan of country western music only to name a few. There wasn't much he did that he didn't do 110%. If he was into it, he was REALLY into it and wanted to perfect it. There's the hole in 1 trophy when he was a member of the Elks Lodge. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed all his longtime golfing buddies. He often longed to get back on the Greens with Larry.
He was a country music fan and enjoyed the smaller venues for seeing his favorite artist. He spent many hours making mix tapes, even making one for his sister-in-laws wedding.
For a time, he was considered the "historian" for the Lenwood Community Church. Never did he go without his camera in tow. He created photo collages, memory books, and posters from many of their events.
He had a passion for collecting and showing off his collections. In fact, he had to give a 20-year Avon Bottle and Stein collection away to his children just to make room for his more recent collection. Anyone that knew Del in the last 30 years knows how much of a HARDCORE NASCAR fan he was. Especially #24, Jeff Gordon. He followed Jeff from his early years as a sprint car racer. He probably knew more about Jeff's career than Jeff did! His den was a place he enjoyed most and was nicknamed "the 3-hour tour". Ask him about a car and your tour began. He knew when, where, what place it finished, or how many laps it made. Even called his nephew to tell him he had a genuine Jeff Gordon Lug Nut! The only down side, no one in the family could buy him presents as he would ultimately run out of patients and buy the very item just weeks or days before Christmas or his Birthday.
There was time for travel after retirement, he and Andee enjoyed going to the family reunions in the Midwest on Andee's side where there could be as many as 175 family members. They would go up North and meet the artist for the Beer Steins he collected and enjoy seeing family along the way. Their travel companion was Sam. Sam went everywhere with them and Del taught him many tricks. People were in awe of how many tricks Sam knew but the most famous was his "high 5".
Thank you for showing so much love and support to me and our family. Today we gather here to reflect on the life my Dad lived. It would be impossible to put nearly 84 years into one celebration of life. So, I would like to request for you to reach out to us especially my Mom with some of your favorite memories of my Dad. I'd like to share with you a "Fish Story"! I was little, maybe 6 or 7 years old. We were in Silver Lakes Fishing. Just the 4 of us. My mom and brother knew how to fish so they didn't need any help, me however I was brand new to this and my Dad had the task of teaching me. He put the worm on the hook not because I was afraid of the worm, but because he didn't want me to get hooked. Then he cast the line and handed me the poll saying now just wait till you feel a bite, then pull back and set the hook. As he walked away to cast his own line into the water, I had started reeling in my line. Just as Dad got comfortable, he looked over and my line was out of the water. He didn't know how that had happened and simply came back over and went through the whole thing again. And again, as he walked away, I started reeling in the line. After doing this a couple of times he got slightly agitated and I know you don't believe that he ever got upset with me. haha Well he laid down the law I was to sit there and wait till I had a fish on the line before I reeled it in. Fortunately for me he was easily distracted because we were fishing, and I was just barely reeling it in, and I guess that's how you catch fish because now there was a strong pull and I yelled I got one. Dad said there's no way there's a fish on that line, just sit still and wait. I continued to reel ever so slowly and again a hard tug on the end of the line and finally I just started reeling it in and it pulled me out of my chair, I was laughing, squealing, and jumping around all at the same time. Dad swore I was just hung up on the bottom again and needed to be quiet, that is until he saw the fish jump and nearly dragging me into the water. He grabbed the poll and together we finished reeling in my catch!!! I was so happy, and my Dad just smiled and said he never would have guessed that's the way you catch fish. It's memories like those that have filled my mind. It was memories like that I had the blessing of reminding him just before he passed.
If you take anything from the life Del lived, take Love. Love is shown to us in many ways by many different means. Love isn’t always easy nor glamorous it’s not a Hollywood movie, but it does ENDURE. My mom calls him her Sweet Sweet Husband. My parents have shown us the true meaning of love. I have seen 50 of the 53 years they were married. I have seen love.
And now I would like to share a pome I’ve written Called It’s The Little Girl In Me
Your Princess will always be the little girl in me knowing you were my king,
It's the little girl in me that was told she’s the apple of your eye, now trying not to cry,
It's the little girl in me that struggles the most, not ready for goodbye, called by our heavenly host,
It's the little girl in me that wants to crawl up in your lap, listening to your stories, and simply take a nap,
It's the little girl in me that holds on tight, dancing on your toes, wearing your T-shirts at night,
It's the little girl in me that remembers you the most, sharing popcorn, watching TV
It’s the little girl in me that hears us riding roller coasters, laughing and screaming all in great fun, just one more please don’t be done,
It’s the little girl in me that knows your hands were strong, your heart was warm and misses the way your smile would light up when I walked into the room,
It’s the little girl in me grown up to be the woman I am, tipping her hat
Happy Trails Daddy
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://www.meadcares.com for the Dutcher family.
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