Neil Leon DukePORTLAND – Neil Leon Duke, age 94, passed away on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, at 2:10 a.m. at his home in the loving care of his family. He was a resident of Robin Hood at Grace Village, Winona Lake.
Neil was born Nov. 30, 1925, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Neil moved to Portland at the age of 15. His move to Indiana was prompted by his desire to support his siblings.
At the age of 18, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served from 1944 until 1946. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and was assigned to the USS Mayrant. He was at Marcus Island when the Japanese surrendered. After returning from the Navy, he took a job at Sheller Globe Corp. in Portland. Neil met Frances Swank Duke and their romance blossomed, and they married in 1948. They were married 71 years this past October. Neil retired from Sheller-Globe after 30 years. He later took a job with the Jay County Highway Department.
Neil bought a farm just outside Pennville and farmed on the side. He loved hunting, fishing, trapping, growing a large garden, flowers, bird watching along with his property and pond and was a nature lover. Most of all he loved his family.
He was a member of the Pennville United Methodist Church, a 40-year member of Gideon's International, an 11-year member of Jay County REMC Board, a 50-year member of Pennville Masonic Lodge #212 and a 50-year member of the Scottish Rite.
He is survived by his wife, Frances Swank Duke; daughter, Nancy Jo Sausaman (husband Steve), of Warsaw; and son, Gregory Duke, of Pennville; four grandchildren: Kelli Poulimenos (husband Christopher), of Fort Wayne; Kerri Dlugokinski (husband Joseph), of Plymouth; Steven Kyle Evans, of Hollywood, Fla.; and Lynsey Nicol Duke, of Wellston, Okla.; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Baird-Freeman Funeral Home in Portland with Pastor Gary Phillips presiding. A masonic services will be held as part of the services. Burial will follow in the IOOF Cemetery in Pennville with military graveside rites by American Legion Post #211. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20. A memorial service will be held at Grace Village in Winona Lake on Jan. 5.
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Memorials to Gideon's International or Grace Village at Winona Lake.
