Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries



The Teague Chronicle - November 17, 2011 edition


VIRGIL L. "DUKE" KROPP

Memorial services for Virgil L. "Duke" Kropp, 79, of Fairfield, Texas, are 
pending at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida.

Duke Kropp was born on January 31, 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri to Leona 
(Mueller) and George Kropp. He graduated from Clayton High School in St. Louis,
Missouri. Duke attended the University of Florida, playing football for the 
Gators. After graduating in 1955, he joined the U.S. Navy as an engineer. Duke 
was assigned to the Atomic Test Sites in Nevada, were he served eight years. 
He moved to Dallas in the early 60’s to work with the U.S. Public Health 
Service Commissioned Corps, administered by the Surgeon General. Later, Duke 
founded D.L. Kropp & Associates, a company that designed and manufactured 
computer access flooring. In the early 1980’s, he was the proud owner of the 
Dallas Americans, members of the American Soccer League. Beginning in the 
1990’s, Duke spent twenty years installing data centers across the county (and 
a few times overseas) with his son’s company, Kropp Building Systems (KBS). 
Project sites included military bases, universities, hospitals and research 
centers, such as the LIGO Observatory in Louisiana. For the last two years, 
Duke had started to enjoy retirement, spending time with his step-grandson, 
Parker Eidson. Duke was a die-hard Florida Gator fan, attending games and 
actively recruiting for the football team. He was an active member of the 
First United Methodist Church in Fairfield, Texas. Duke was involved in the 
Freestone County Republican Club, serving as President for a time. He was an 
avid supporter of the Freestone County Soccer Association. Duke passed away on 
Wednesday, October 26, 2011, at the VA Hospital in Temple, Texas.

Duke was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Mary Kropp, who died at 
birth; and his first wife, Berneice (Palac) Kropp.

He is survived by a son: Kurt C. Kropp, and wife Christi of Fairfield, Texas; 
two daughters: Kim (Kropp) Doherty, and husband Duane of Corning, New York, 
and Kiersten Kropp of Beverly Hills, California; a grandchild, Kyla Kropp; and
great-grand child, Hayley Kropp.

Capps Memorial Chapel of Fairfield, Texas was in charge of arrangements.