Roderic E. Deines, 90, of Russell, Kansas died on Friday, January 14, 2022, at Pioneer Ridge Nursing Home in Lawrence, Kansas.
Rod was born on October 18th, 1931, in Russell, Kansas, the son of Herman and Marcella (O’Grady)
Deines. He spent most of his younger years in Russell but for a short time lived in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up he worked the family business at the Deines Furniture Store. He worked for a brief time in the oil field but decided to join the Army and served from February 15,1952 to January 27, 1954, during the Korean War. After serving his country, he returned to Russell to work and met who would be his first wife Marilyn Krueger. They were united in marriage in August of 1956, during this time they both attended Kansas University where he was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity. They moved to Dallas, Texas, where he attended and graduated from the Dallas Institute Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science and achieved Summa Cum Laude honors. They moved back to Russell to raise their two children, Michelle and Phillip. Once again, he worked the family business as a mortician at the Deines Funeral Home and Ambulance Service. He and Marilyn eventually divorced and later he married his second wife, Dorothy (Steinert) Nuss in 1966. From this union they were blessed with two children Bonny and Mike. Rod worked selling insurance through various companies such as Interstate Insurance and Franklin Life Insurance. They were members of Trinity United Methodist Church and active in various roles within the church. He served as Lay Leader and was part of the Methodist Mens group. He enjoyed church volleyball, and they played a major part in founding the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that are available to the community. He played a convincing Santa Clause as well on Christmas eve for the children at the Christmas eve celebration. Rod also served on the board of the Russell Regional Hospital. He repeatedly achieved high ranking recognition in his sales with the Franklin Life Insurance Company. In his spare time he loved gardening, coaching little league baseball and enjoyed drawing or as he called it doodling. After 19 years of marriage Rod and Dorothy divorced which led to Rod moving to the small town of Baldwin City, Kansas and started the Legionnaire Baseball Team for young men that wanted to play baseball. Eventually he decided to move a few miles north to his beloved Lawrence, Kansas and Alma Mater KU. Here he continued a career in money management seminars and in his later years dabbled in Real Estate Opportunities. His favorite pass time included enjoying time with his two Brittany dogs, Torrie and Missy. His final few years after changes in his health were spent at Pioneer Ridge Nursing Home until his final destination to live life eternal with his Lord Jesus Christ.
Surviving family include his daughter Bonny Deines, companion Tim Ball of Lawrence; son Mike
Deines and wife Wendy of Basehor, Kansas; step siblings Mary Ann (Deines)Hogan, companion Glenn Keil; Wanda (Deines) Brown and husband Dennis Brown and their children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister June Deines; Ex-wife Marilyn Krueger; Ex-wife Dorothy Nielsen.
A celebration of Roderic’s life will be held at 10 A.M. on Friday, January 21, 2022, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery in Russell, Kansas. Military rites will be presented by the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240. Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. Thursday, January 20, 2022, at the mortuary with family present to greet guests from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Thursday evening. Memorials may be given to Trinity United Methodist Church and sent to the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.