Dirk DenUyl

Outgoing, hardworking, and someone that could talk to anyone or always make you laugh are just a few ways to describe Dirk DenUyl. A few events that occurred in 1962 include the completion of The Space Needle observation tower in Seattle, Washington in time for the 1962 World's Fair, the first Kmart department store opening in Garden City, Michigan, Sweden beating Canada to win the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championship, which was the first ever held in the United States, and on July 23, 1962, Daniel and Sandra (Ulrey) DenUyl welcomed the birth of their second child, Dirk DenUyl in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
As a small child, Dirk would mow the lawn with his toy lawnmower anytime he saw the neighbors out mowing their lawns. He adored his baby sister, Darcy, and became very protective of her from the time she was brought home from the hospital. Dirk found this a good way to pick on Devin anytime he teased Darcy. He also enjoyed spending time with his cousins and hunting for old beer cans to collect at grandma's house in Macatawa, Michigan. Grandma once offered Dirk money to cut his hair, and never one to venture away from being a daredevil, Dirk gave himself a reverse mohawk with the dog clippers, at just age seven! His dad did come to the rescue and complete his impromptu haircut.
Dirk was quite fond of listening to music and going to concerts. He saw Kiss and Aerosmith several times each. Dirk also met his future wife at a concert. After some time talking figured out they had gone to school together. Dirk listened to a lot of heavy metal in his younger years, but as he grew older, leaned more toward country music. Dirk also introduced his siblings to much of the music they still enjoy to this day.
During the blizzard of 1978 Dirk and his dad crawled through the woods to reach their dog kennel and care for the animals. Dirk was a lifelong animal lover surrounded by dogs in his childhood and then by cats in his adult life. Dirk attended Fort Wayne Community Schools and graduated from Northrop High School, with the Class of 1980.
After high school and trade school training, Dirk worked at Dana for 33 years as a material handler until his retirement in April of 2019.
Dirk was a member of United Steelworkers Union Local 903. He enjoyed listening to music, watching old black and white or Clint Eastwood movies. When sports were involved, Dirk definitely had a love/hate relationship with golf, whether it was watching his favorite golfer, John Daly, or attempting to beat his dad playing golf. Dirk was an avid Kansas City Chiefs football and Red Wings hockey fan too.
Dirk had a love of corvettes, and he owned two of them. He became a born again Christian in 2004 and began following David Jeremiah. On December 16, 2005 Dirk married the true love of his life, Jamie Kae Raab, at the Fort Wayne Courthouse. They enjoyed vacations to Hawaii and Graceland.
Dirk DenUyl, age 57 of Leesburg, IN, and formerly of Fort Wayne, went home to be with the Lord, at 7:03 am on Monday December 2, 2019 at Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne.
Survivors include his loving wife, Jamie (Raab) DenUyl of Leesburg; children, Barbara (Jack Voirol) Resor of Venice, FL and Lindsay (Rian) Searles of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Anne Joy and Ethan Cameron; mother Sandra Fisher of Columbia City; siblings, Devin DenUyl of Atlanta, GA and Darcy (Eric) Scott of Columbia City; several nieces and nephews, including special nephew, Reed Scott and special niece, Tatum Scott, both of Columbia City; brothers-in-law, Daniel Raab of Payne, OH, and Michael Zurzolo and Joe Louraine, both of Fort Wayne; several beloved fur babies.
He was preceded in death by his father Daniel DenUyl, grandparents, mother-in-law Barbara Raab, sister, J. Dawn Mercedes and sister-in-law Julie Ann Louraine.
A memorial service for Dirk will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday December 6, 2019 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, where friends may call one hour prior to service.
Memorial contributions in memory of Dirk may be made to HOPE for animals or St. Jude Children's Hospital.
Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send the family an online condolence.