Richard P. “Duke” Kruse

Richard P. “Duke” Kruse, age 91, of Pleasant Prairie, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, March 16, 2015.

Born on September 16, 1923 in Oak Park, IL, he was the son of the late Herbert J. and Charlotte M. (Dietrich) Kruse.  Duke attended schools in Illinois and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University.

Duke proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force during WWII.

He held several positions throughout his career. However, it wasn’t until he established his own advertising agency, Kruse Associates, that he found his calling.

He had a passion for the arts and was a self-taught artist.  His favorite mediums were painting, sculpting and charcoal drawings.  He received numerous awards and held numerous art shows to showcase his pieces.

Duke will be deeply missed by his wife, Eileen; their two children, Kathryn “Katie” Pipito and John R. Kruse; a brother, Robert C. (“Midge”) Kruse; four grandchildren, Gina (Darius) Miller, Jacalyn Kruse, Elizabeth and Elliott Gengembre and two great grandchildren, Colette and Trei Miller.  In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two brothers, Herbert Jr. and Charles.