Don Dittus, 84, husband, father, brother, friend; died Monday, December 17, 2018 following a lengthy illness and a short stay in the hospital.
Don was born in Maywood, Illinois to James and Virginia Dittus. He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Farm Operations and a teaching credential. In the ensuing years, he continued his education and earned additional credentials and degrees. It was while at Iowa State that he met and married Sue Holte, his wife of 62 years.
Don had several jobs throughout his career, including raising grapes in New York state, teaching agriculture in eastern Iowa and counseling high school students in Minnesota. When he started working for the Ukiah Unified School District in Ukiah, CA, he began as the junior high counselor, became vice-principal, then coordinator of Voc-Ed and Work Experience at the high school, before going to the County Office of Education as assistant superintendent.
Don was a bit of a Renaissance man; he enjoyed a variety of interests and activities, and into each he poured his heart and soul. He was intelligent, meticulous and hard-working. These qualities were apparent when he built both a two-story home in Potter Valley, CA, as well as an experimental aircraft with a friend, which he subsequently flew back and forth to Minnesota several times.
Don liked games and puzzles, playing Old Maid and 52 Card Pick-up with his daughters when they were young, weekly bridge games at Homestead Co-op and marathon bridge weekends with Sue, his brother Bob, and sister-in-law Lois; as well as completing the crossword puzzles and Sudokus in the newspaper.
Don enjoyed traveling. When he was 20, he and his cousin John drove to Alaska in a Jeep, pulling a trailer they had built to travel the newly opened Alaskan Highway. In retirement, Don and Sue traveled throughout Canada and the United States in their RV, before finally settling down in Grand Marais.
Don was preceded in death by his father, Jim; mother, Virginia; and older brother Jay. He is survived by his wife, Sue; three daughters, Pam Dittus, Cheryl Woodward and Pat Cuneo; brother, Robert Dittus; sister, Gini Emigh; six grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
There will be a gathering of family and friends the weekend of August 10-11, 2019 in Grand Marais.
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