Todd Alan Duerksen

Obituary Todd Duerksen; January 24, 1954 – May 3, 2023

Todd Alan Duerksen from Richardson, Texas passed away peacefully May 3^rd, 2023 due to sudden complications of pancreatic cancer.

Todd is survived by his wife of 46 years Carolyn Duerksen, son Bradley Duerksen, daughter-in-law Jamie Duerksen, granddaughters McKenna and Emmalynn Duerksen, his daughter Amber Duerksen Dombrowski and son-in-law Corey Dombrowski, and grandson Ian Mokler. Also surviving is his brother, Douglas Duerksen.

Todd grew up in Richardson, Texas with parents Wayne and Maureen Duerksen, and graduated from Richardson High School in 1972.

In 1973 he organized the Richardson Police Explorers Club to allow youth who were interested in Law Enforcement  careers, to do “ride-alongs” with the police to get a real sense of the job.

With an eye toward his future Todd pursued his own law enforcement career by attending University of Texas Arlington, earning his BS in Criminal Justice. Unfortunately his poor eyesight prevented him from his dream job, so he attended the Reserve Peace Officer Academy in Lewisville, Texas, earning Valedictorian. Though he enjoyed the position of Reserve Officer, he again changed plans as the birth of his first child approached. 

 In the following years Todd held positions in electrical drafting, large-scale crane project management, and plant project manager at Owens Corning Fiberglass.

In 1995 Todd once again looking for a service position, went to work for the City of Dallas as a Code Enforcement Officer. He remained with the City and 5 years later was promoted to the Building Inspections Department, where he stayed till retirement in 2018.

During his time with the City of Dallas, Todd earned accolades from citizens and colleagues alike. Citizens requiring structural or property amendments came to request exceptions, and found unique solutions through Todd after being told by others there was no recourse. One citizen resolution that Todd was particularly proud of was the letter to the Dallas City Manager by Mr. Jack Keller, owner of Keller’s Drive-in on Northwest Highway. Getting to meet some of the more famous citizens was an added fun side of his job; musicians, athletes, politicians, etc.

Todd was kind, sweet, and funny; drawing you in with his unassuming demeanor, until he would come up with a one-liner that had you double-over laughing. Even at our first meeting with the oncologist, Todd was confident in the doctor’s plan and had him laughing, helping to ease that intense discussion. Helping others was a hallmark of Todd’s character, along with his wit and friendly, relaxed humor, which he has passed on to his children.