April 5, 1947 – August 26, 2016
Duane R Bach
From the family farm in Fairbury, IL; to becoming a highly accomplished CPA in Rockford, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; then savvy business man and wine lover, Duane never lost sight of where he came from, the value of a hard day’s work, or the willingness to lend a helping hand.
He was born on April 5, 1947 in Fairbury, Illinois son of Reuben and Louise Bach. As a youth he took pride in having read every single book in the local library and following every pitch of the Milwaukee Braves and his favorite player Eddie Mathews.
Duane married Barbara Winterland in June of 1970. It was love at first sight when she stole his car keys. The rest of their story was written across the next 46 years.
Duane received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois and his Masters in Tax from DePaul University. In addition, he was bestowed with the Elijah Watt Sells award of excellence.
He began work at Coopers & Lybrand in 1973 and later became tax partner in Rockford Illinois and then in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Seeking a change in 1992, he returned to Rockford Illinois and became a vital link at Anderson Enterprises/Spring Creek Partners. Over the years Duane had the privilege to serve on the boards of Lutheran Social Services, Anderson Japanese Gardens, YMCA, Rockford Art Museum, and the Rockford Health System.
He was not one for the spot light, he referred to himself as, “The wizard behind the curtain.” This wizard was able to say more with only a few words or a simple facial expression, than a man who had a 1000 words at his disposal.
Duane loved to travel, enjoyed the endless pursuit of knowledge, and possessed remarkable charisma drawing in all around him, making 
everyone around him better for having known him.
Duane’s endless thirst for life allowed him to traverse the globe with his wife and family seeking out new life experiences and culinary adventures, not to mention world class wines! Upon retirement in 2014 his life’s passion became a reality. After moving to Seattle he immediately enrolled in the winemaking program at South Seattle University. Simultaneously, they both took new full-time jobs as global travelers, fine wine lovers, and their passion for each other.
Unfortunately, this chapter of his life was ended sooner than expected. In May of 2015 while traveling in Italy Duane suffered a stroke. After a year of hard work and daily therapy he was making great progress. In May 2016 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Duane always strived to catch the big wave and enjoyed life to its fullest. We can all be confident he is with each and every one of us. He has influenced all of our lives.
He is survived by wife, Barb, daughter, Jennifer (Seattle, Washington), son Michael (Palatine, Illinois) and sister, Bonnie Bach (Peoria, Illinois)
In Lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Mercy Rockford Health System or the National Stroke Association.
Please pay tribute to Duane in your own personal way. There will be no service at this time
Poems
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief, o dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost
…We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals
that deep inside us something is valuable,
worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch.
Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder,
spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit…
-e.e. cummings
“Anybody can learn to think, or believe, or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel… the moment you feel, you’re nobody ― but-yourself ― in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else ― means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.”
-e.e. comings