Dirk Alan Eliker, 72, of Seminole, Florida, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2019 in Largo, Florida. He rested comfortably under hospice care at Largo Medical Center for the week prior to his passing.
Dirk was born in Hartford City, Indiana to Glendale and Vera (Redding) Eliker on April 17, 1946. He graduated from Hartford City High School in 1964 then from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in 1972 with a Masters Degree in psychology. Dirk served in the Navy during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Sanctuary (AH-17). During his military service he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device. He met his life long love Sandy on November 18, 1984 and the two of them relocated from Indiana to Florida in 1985. Following years of counseling and managerial work in the mental health field, he and Sandy purchased and operated Kitesville, USA in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida for 10 years. Dirk spent his latest years volunteering for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout his life he enjoyed sailing, home “handyman” activities, wood working, making and flying kites; and traveling, visiting, and laughing with friends and family. Dirk held memberships with the NRA and American Kite Flyers Association.
Dirk is preceded in death by his grandparents, parents Glendale (1978) and Vera Eliker (2007), infant brother Douglas (1943), and sister Dana Curtis (2015). He is survived by his wife Sandy, his son Jon-Eric Eliker (Abbie) of Brunswick, Ohio, and grandchildren Mackenzie, Levi and Addison. A private memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. at Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33708.
Sandy I am so sorry for your loss! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I will never forget visiting you guys in Florida and Dirk teaching me to play darts! He was a great person and good friend to my mom and dad! May you find some peace in this terrible time!
Jon-Erik, so sorry for your loss. May God wrap his loving arms around you.
Tim & Rebecca
So Sorry to hear about your loss. May God Wrap his loving Arms around you. Love you guys. John Doty
Dirk and I corresponded with many letters when he served on the USS Sanctuary I always looked forward to his letters. I thought of Dirk as a good friend. Dirk had a beautiful family. I will be thinking of Jon-Eric and family on the 28th of this month.
I went to school with Dirk, he was great all thru school.
Sorry I didn’t stay in touch , I hear he was a great guy.
Sorry for your loss, may he R.I.P.
I knew Dirk from the Sheriff Volunteer Patrol. Dirk was a really nice guy. So sorry to hear this news. R.I.P. Sincerely, Dave
Dick was a volunteer with the Sheriff’s Volunteer Patrol and we worked together for several years. R.I.P. my friend
I worked with Dirk as a SVP Volunteer for his full tenure. We did many patrols together. Sad to hear he has joined so many of my friends. My heart goes out to the family.
I didn’t know of Dirk’s passing until this morning, when I tried to message him on Facebook. Dirk, my husband and I were friendsin the 1980s when we both worked in Mental Health Services. We kept in touch from time to time. He had the greatest sense of humor, and I lasted as long in our mutual job, partly because of how often Dirk could make me laugh. We had in common that we both were Hoosiers, and loved music. I remember Sandy, and I am so sorry for the place in your heart I know Dirk left. His greatest loves when I knew him best were Sandy, his son and his mother. I also feel sorry for myself that I can’t talk to him maybe once a year on my birthday, and can’t message him on Facebook. Thanks for memorializing him on Facebook. As we say in my church, Dirk, Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory.