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Dale Duggins
Dale Charles Duggins of Vernon, AZ died Monday Sept. 19, 2016, after a long battle with multiple illnesses. He was born Sept. 10, 1943, in Globe, AZ to Charles E. and Christine Duggins.
He spent his younger years in the Globe-Miami area before the family moved to Kearny in 1959.
After attending Ray High School in Kearny, and at the age of 17, Dale enlisted in the US Army in February of 1961. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam on May 22, 1961. He served four combat tours of duty in Vietnam.
During his service, he received on Feb. 11, 1970 the Award of the Purple Heart, on June 11, 1970 the Award of the Bronze Star Medal and on Mar. 27, 1972 the Award of the Bronze Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster). He also received the Vietnamese Honor Medal, Cross of Gallantry, Campaign Ribbon with 13 Battle Stars and Good Conduct Medal with 4 knots.
Leaving his patriotic duty to our country on June 13, 1977 with rank of SSG E6 he returned to Kearny, lived in California for a short time and eventually moved to Vernon in the White Mountains of Arizona where he has spent the last 30 plus years.
Dale married three times and loved all of them. His love of the outdoors led him to fishing and hunting. Favorite saying was “I want to go drown a worm.” He was kind hearted and generous (to a fault). He lived a wonderful life and always did it his way.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Christine Duggins; wife, Lois Duggins; and son, Charles (Chucky) Duggins.
He is survived by sisters, Susan (Pete) Acton of Vernon,Vicki Clark, and Donna (Eddie) Stacy, both of Kearny; and daughters, Dora Annette Kristo of Queen Creek, AZ and Rhonda Rae Duggins of Sacramento, CA; and son, Eugene Duggins of San Ardo, CA; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services were held at Owens Livingston Mortuary of Show Low Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 at 10 a.m. and a celebration was held at one of his favorite hang outs, the Stanford General Store following the service.
He was laid to rest at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
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