Richard I. DuBurg

Richard I. DuBurg, age 90, of Moline, died Saturday, January 14, 2012 at Bickford Cottage in Moline.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, January 19, 2011 at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd. 6601-38th Avenue, Moline. Visitation is from 3-7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m. Burial is at the National Cemetery, Rock Island Arsenal with military honors conducted by Moline American Legion Post #246. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children-Chicago, 2211 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60707.
Mr. DuBurg was born February 9, 1921 in Moline, and was the son of Andrew J. and Nellie (Biggs) DuBurg of Rock Island. He married June Rausch of Viola, IL, on August 30, 1942.
Richard was schooled at Horace Mann Grade School, Washington Jr. High and graduated from Rock Island High School in 1939. After graduating, he was employed by Rock Island Servus Rubber. After he left Servus, he then went to work at Moline Venetian Blind Company.
During the beginning of WW II and before he entered service, he was employed by the Rock Island Arsenal as a Machinist Helper. He then advanced into the Precision Tool Grinding Department where he held the position of Precision tool maker/Gage maker for other Arsenals.
He was an accomplished musician on the piano, trombone, bugle, and harmonica along with the Spanish guitar and stand-up string bass. He was privileged to be chosen to perform with William Kramer, professional musician, locally for 10 years.
After leaving the Rock Island Arsenal, Mr. DuBurg entered the U.S. Coast Guard and was in service from September 9, 1943 to February 13, 1946. He was in boot camp for 4 months at Manhattan Beach, NY, from which he was transferred to Navy Sonar School in Miami, FL. After his schooling in Miami, he was attached as sonar operator to a Coast Guard Patrol Ship, the USS Moberly, which was tasked with protecting convoy ships moving across the Atlantic Ocean to and from the US to Iran, Africa against German submarine attacks.
After the war, Mr. DuBurg was discharged and then took employment with Deere & Company at several Moline facilities. He worked in the capacity of Tool Room Machinist, Tool & Die Repairman, and Plant Engineer. While working at Moline Plow Planter, he attended school (Industrial Engineering Courses under the GI Bill) for electrical troubleshooting on numerical controlled production machines. He retired from Deere & Company after more than 35 years on May 1, 1981.
Mr. DuBurg enjoyed many hobbies including hunting, fishing, bike riding, woodworking, boat building and helping other people solving mechanical problems.
Mr. DuBurg was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in East Moline, 3 Masonic Lodges including Moline Lodge #1014 AF & AM holding a 32nd Degree. He was a life member of the Moline VFW, KAABA Lodge, Davenport, Moline Eagles, John Deere 434 Union Retirees and the US Musicians Union.
Mr. DuBurg is survived by his wife June whom he was married to for 69 years, son Jeffrey and his spouse Barbara, Geneseo, IL; daughter Jennifer and her spouse Joseph Wesselman along with their sons, Michael and Jason, Big Rock, IL. Also surviving Mr. DuBurg are his granddaughter Jamie and her spouse Adam DeSplinter along with their daughters (great granddaughters) Ava and Olivia, Geneseo, IL; and sister Marion "Betty" Kitchen, Davenport.
He was preceded in death by his son Richard Joseph DuBurg, parents, and sisters Lorene DuBurg and Darlene Bledsoe.
Online condolences may be expressed to his family by visiting his obituary at www.esterdahl.com.