Duane “Dimmy” Messner
October 4, 1963 - June 25, 2023
In the early hours of Sunday, June 25th, a shining light, in this otherwise dark world, was extinguished far too soon. Duane Messner was unable to be revived after being taken to St. Mary’s Hospital. He leaves behind a vast collective of friends that will miss him dearly.
Dimmy was a man driven by many passions, which he took great joy in sharing with those in his life.
As a founding member of his fantasy baseball league, he turned his love of the sport into a vibrant company of equally impassioned fans who, through friendly competition, could enjoy the game at a deeper level. He will be missed by the other owners who respected and admired his passion for this national pastime.
Dim enjoyed outlets for his creativity and sense of fun. One such group was his beloved gaming group where he would roleplay his characters with vigor to the delight of his fellow gamers. He had a very analytical mind but liked to throw in a bit of mischief to make the experience fun for everyone. He leaves a hole that can never be filled.
For many years Dimmy played goal in a local ball hockey league. He loved the physical competitiveness and comradery that came with this local club. In recent years his knees prevented him from continuing but he always remembered his time in the league with great fondness.
Dimmy was also known and loved by many patrons of LOOKIN’ FOR HEROES, the downtown comic book store where he worked for 30+ years. He never considered it work; it was more a place where he could share his love for comics and graphic novels. His unparalleled knowledge and passion in this field made him the “go to” guy to guide new customers or regular collectors to exactly what they were looking for. He will be missed, sitting at the back counter, ready with this week’s order or a smarmy jab.
Duane had so many interests and always sought out the things in life the rest of us would overlook. Whether he was attending the Toronto Memorabilia Show where he would take hours meticulously inspecting the wares of every vendor, eventually leaving with something amazing or unexpected. Or exploring the Elmvale Flea Market where he not only discovered beautiful fossils but then hand-crafted display shelves at home to properly show them. He loved the KW area art walks and exhibits and often purchased gifts so he could share the local talent with others. Christmas was his favourite time of year and an opportunity to generously show his love through the incredibly thought-out gifts he would give.
Whether it was his unfulfilled desire to own a dachshund, arraying his balcony with colourful plants and flowers to the delight of his neighbours, the excitement he felt discussing player trades in the hot tub, Sunday night Marvel movie critiques or taking forever to finish a meal, he was unique and meant so much to so many.
You may have known him as Dimmy, Dim or simply Duane, but it is safe to say he was one-of-a-kind. He will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed; as he would say, “that is factually correct”.
“And sometimes, I despair the world will never see another man like him.”
Superman Song
Crash Test Dummies
It was a nice afternoon paying our respects to Dimmy, and reliving our favourite Dimmy moments. He will be missed by many.