Des Plaines remembers longtime comptroller

For 22 years Duane Blietz was Des Plaines' money man.

As city comptroller Blietz would work with the city council to create the budget and pay the bills for Des Plaines. And he was good at it.

“(Duane) was very conscientious about his job, former Des Plaines 1st Ward Alderman Thomas Koplos said. “He looked to save the city money, to do things efficiently and get the biggest bang for you buck.

On Oct. 7, Blietz, 83, passed away from complications due to Parkinson's disease.

A 53-year resident of Des Plaines, Blietz was city comptroller from 1964 to 1986 before retiring. He also was the treasurer of the Des Plaines Park District from 1964 to 1976.

“The accounting part, being the treasurer, that was his thing, said Howard Blietz, Duane Blietz's son. “Because he was city comptroller he always went to city council meetings. He was very regularly on the go.

Blietz first moved to Des Plaines from Chicago with his parents in 1949. He attended Wright Junior College and then transferred to Roosevelt University, where he studied accounting.

Blietz met his wife, Ruth Gilke, at an Austin YMCA dance and the two married a few years later on Sept. 22, 1956. They moved into the Cumberland area of Des Plaines in 1959.

“I met (Duane) in 1969 when I was first elected alderman, Koplos said. “I thought he was really very serious about his job. He took it seriously and there was no bluster. I think he knew what he was doing. He was very good in his profession.

Former Des Plaines mayor John Seitz agrees.

“He was conscientious and well-informed and he was a good financial man, said Seitz, who was mayor from 1981 to 1989.

“I enjoyed working with almost everyone (in Des Plaines), he added. “We had, I thought, good people, and he was one of them.

Blietz was serious about sports too.

“My dad was a really quiet man but when you got him on the tennis court he was a totally different person, Howard Blietz said. “He was very good at tennis and bowling.

Even after Parkinson's made it difficult for him to walk and play sports, Blietz still found a way to indulge his competitive streak. He discovered Wii sports at the Des Plaines Senior Center.

“I think he really missed the competition, Howard said. “He discovered Wii bowling and he was every bit as good at Wii bowling as he was at real bowling.

Seitz remembers a man who always a pleasure to work with and took great care to do the job right.

“He was good to work with because he was a professional. And the best thing you can say about anyone is that they are a professional, Seitz said.

Services have been held.