Duane Wilfred Bergkamp, age 76, of Wichita, passed away in his sleep on his birthday, Dec. 22, 2023. Duane was born in Wichita to Wilfred Bergkamp and Anna (Wetta) Bergkamp on Dec. 22, 1947.

He graduated from Andale High School in 1965 and then Hutchinson Community College. He went home to Sedgwick to work on the family dairy farm for 22 years. After selling the farm, he found his new passion as a financial advisor at Waddell & Reed for 31 years. Duane helped many clients, no matter their income, to plan and invest for retirement. He was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus #4118 and continued working as an event staff member for Best Crowd Management, a GardaWorld company. He loved to travel; visiting 40 states and 19 foreign countries with Carolyn. Duane was always available for his family, friends and strangers – anyone who needed help.

Duane is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carolyn Elaine (Thimesch) Bergkamp, whom he married on July 28, 1973. His daughters are Christy (Nick) Jamis, Jill Engle, Lori (Ryan) Zern, and Amy (David) McKinley. He also is survived by nine grandchildren, Tracy (Isaiah), Dallas, and Zoey Jamis, Chloe and Abby Engle, Kalea and Xavier Zern, and Hunter and Berkley McKinley; one great-granddaughter; Ava Brown; and Duane’s surviving siblings, Alvin Bergkamp, Joanne Reynolds, Leon Bergkamp, Elsie May, Kathleen Arnold, Neal Bergkamp and Theresa Berntsen. Duane is preceded in death by his parents, Wilfred and Anna, and one infant brother, Marion.

Rosary will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, followed by a 10:30 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial, both at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Wichita. Interment will be in St Anthony’s Cemetery, Garden Plain.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) and St Francis of Assisi Totus Tuus program.