SIOUX FALLS — Douglas Tschetter, 64 of Sioux Falls, passed away Sunday, June 16, 2019, in Sioux Falls.
Doug’s Memorial service will be 10 a.m., Monday, June 24, at Oak Hills Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, with a luncheon to follow. Visitation will be at Heritage Funeral Home on Sunday, June 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. with a time of sharing at 5 p.m.
Doug Tschetter was born July 28, 1954, in Huron. He was the second of four children of Rueben and Dolores (Gross) Tschetter. He attended Doland Schools and graduated in 1972. He moved on to South Dakota State University where he received a teaching degree in the fields of Speech and Theatre, and English graduating in 1976.
He moved to Highmore where he taught and coached in Hyde County Schools for two years. He then moved to Milbank where he taught speech and English from 1978 to 2014, when he retired. Throughout his career in Milbank, he coached Oral Interpretation, Debate and Speech, and Student Congress. He was named the South Dakota Debate Coach of the year four times in his career: 1991, 1998, 2003, and 2014.
He also advised the National Forensic League (National Speech and Debate Association) chapter and was the seventh person in the history of the nation to achieve his seventh coaching diamond. In 2016, he did receive his eighth diamond. In 2018, he was put into the Hall of Fame of the South Dakota Coaches Association. He helped institute the debate camp/workshop held on the campus of SDSU for over 25 years and always enjoyed the challenges of dorm life for the week or two of the workshop.
When he retired from Milbank, he moved to Sioux Falls, where he could be found subbing in the high school classrooms and coaching debate at O’Gorman High School. In addition, he served as a mentor through the LSS and loved helping immigrants to learn how to read and write English and did volunteer work at Sanford Hospital and a mentor at Laura B. Anderson Elementary.
Tschetter enjoyed being around young people and established some lifelong friends through the classroom and through speech activities, both from his own team and from the teams of others.
Doug is survived by his mother, Dolores Tschetter; sisters, Peg Tschetter, and Laurie Tschetter; two nephews, Adam Klapperich, and Justin (Laura) Klapperich; brother- in law, Phillip Klapperich; four great-nephews, Oliver, Miles, Ari and Remi Klapperich; and a multitude of friends, speech and debate coaches, and beloved students.
He was preceded in death by his father, Rueben Tschetter; and sister, Janelle Klapperich.
Memorials are asked to be directed to Oak Hills Baptist Church for activities of the youth.
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