Rita ‘Darlene’ Duffin

Rita “Darlene” (Liner) Duffin, 75, passed away at her home in Schulenburg with her family by her side on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

Memorial services were held on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 at 11 a.m. at the St. John Catholic Church at St. John, with visitation starting at 9 a.m. and the parish rosary recited at 10:30 a.m. Interment followed in the church cemetery.

Born in Tyler on April 1, 1948, she was the daughter of Irline (Chriswell) and James E. Liner. She attended Jeff Davis High School, graduating in 1967. On Oct. 31, 1970, she married James Duffin at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Houston. During her lifetime, she lived in Tyler, Athens, Martin’s Mill and Houston, besides spending 12 years in Fayette County. She worked as a bookkeeper for Sherwin Williams Paint. She was a member of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Houston, where she served as a Eucharistic minister, and St. John Catholic Church in St. John. She was also a member of the Garden Club and St. John’s Altar Society. In high school, she was a member of DECA. During the late 1960s, she was a Spacette at the Astrodome in Houston. When her son Edward was growing up, she served as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout den mother.

She enjoyed gardening, quilting, raising Weimaraners, church activities, going to the beach and collecting sand dollars, feeding hummingbirds and cardinals, and dancing with her husband, especially to the song “Silver Wings” by Merle Haggard. Her granddaughters were her pride and joy!

Survivors include her husband, James Duffin; son, Edward Duffin and Phillip Palacios of Houston; daughter, Mary Paulsen and Christopher of Cypress; three sisters, Linda Guarino of Austin, Johnnie Lewis of Cleveland and Eileen Liner; and two grandchildren, Madison and Claire Paulsen.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Irline Liner; father, James E. Liner; brother, James Samford Liner; and step-mother, Rebecca Liner.

The family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or a charity of one’s choice.

Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.