Obituary of Duane Frank Reidlinger

Duane Frank Reidlinger passed away at Harmony Guest Home in Hillsboro, OR on December 30, 2019 at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife Mary of 57 years, 4 children, Steven Reidlinger, Francine Wade (Cliff) Belle Fourche, SD, Douglas Reidlinger (Cindy) Terrebonnne, OR and Cathy Firth (Wayne) of Chattaroy, WA, brother Leroy (Mary) Gresham and sister Cheryl Johnson of Redmond.He also has 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Duane, Mary and family spent many years at the Oregon Yacht Club in Portland and later moved to Hillsboro. Duane was a master mechanic at Freightliner for 35 years.Duane grew up in North Portland and attended Parkrose Highschool where he was captain of his football team. He was a Korean War Veteran, serving 2 years in the Marine Corps as a guard stationed in Kodiak, AK.He loved to ride dirt bike, fish, hunt and ride horses and he could fix just about anything you put in front of him. Duane’s true passion was riding his dirt bike.He was an exceptional rider and loved to show off a bit in his later years.He would ‘smoke it’ to the top of a difficult hill that many could not defeat, then once to the top, he’d take off his helmet to reveal his shiny grey hair pulled back in a little pony tail and revel in looks of surprise from the young men outdone by a man over 60.Duane rode fast and hard until he was 71. While watching Little House on the Prairie episode "Remember Me" there was a poem by Michael Landon, he said that is how he wanted to be remembered. “Remember me with smiles and laughter, For that's the way I'll remember you all. If you can only remember me with tears, Then don't remember me at all.”