Duane A. Sundin

Duane "Dewey" Arnold Sundin was born to Lloyd and Luella (Funk) Sundin on January 6, 1937 in Granite Falls, MN and died December 11, 2025 at Benedictine Living Community in St. Peter, MN at the age of 88. He was baptized and confirmed at Providence Valley Lutheran Church in rural Dawson. He married Ruth Schoephoerster on August 3, 1958 in Florida Lutheran Church, rural Canby. To this union one child was born, Sheila. Dewey and Ruth have been members of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter.

Education was always important to Duane, and he took every opportunity to learn. He attended a one room school in Dist. 72 in Maxwell Township by Dawson. In eighth grade, he started taking the bus to school in town where he loved studying science and math, playing a tuba in the band, and playing guard on the football team. He graduated co-valedictorian from Dawson High School in 1954.

Duane enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17, played the tuba during basic training in Chicago, had radioman training at Norfolk, Virginia, served on aircraft carrier USS Bennington, and was honorably discharged on October 30, 1957. He traveled the world during his service; during that time, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at an overseas serviceman’s center in Manilla, Philippines.

Dewey studied on the GI Bill graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1962 with a triple major in English, German, and Greek. After a couple years of work in his field of psychiatric social work at the St. Peter State Hospital, he got a Master’s Degree at Denver University in 1966 with a triple major in psychiatric social work, administration, and advanced statistics. He was a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and National Association of Social Workers. His life’s work of 37 years was being a psychiatric social worker, department director, and admissions officer for mentally ill and chemically dependent at the St. Peter State Hospital.

Duane is survived by his wife, Ruth of St. Peter; daughter Sheila Castillo of Minnetonka; grandchildren Joshua (Erin), Jordan, and Spencer (Katie) Castillo and four great grandchildren Emmet, Sparling, Louie, and Ellowyn Castillo; sisters Linda (Laurel) Lange and Diane (Grant) Robinson. Duane is preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Luella Sundin.

Funeral services will be planned after the holidays.