James Stanley Duke

James Stanley ‘Stan’ Duke passed away November 16th , 2024, in the company of loved ones. Stan was born August 1st , 1942, in Omak to James M. and Clarice L. (George) Duke. He graduated from Okanogan High School in 1961 and attended college that fall in Pasco, playing football for Columbia Basin College. On August 17th , 1962, Stan married his high school sweetheart Barbara J. (Lees) Duke. They had attended school together since first grade. The couple settled in Pasco, where Stan worked as a surveyor for the County Road Dept. While living in Pasco, daughter Sheri was born in March of 1965. Later that year the family moved back to Okanogan where Stan went to work for his father-in-law Ivan Lees’ excavating company. Stan and Barb welcomed son Mike in December of 1967. Several years later Stan and Ivan became business partners, forming Lees & Duke Excavating. The company became a three-generation endeavor when Mike joined them upon graduation from high school in 1986. In 2014 Stan sold the business to Mike and his wife Julie, retiring fully in 2015. Stan was an active member of the community, serving for sixteen years as a volunteer for the Okanogan Fire Department as well as being a lifelong Bulldog. Over the years, he played, coached, ran chains for the football team, and supported his kids, grandkids, and generations of Okanogan athletes. He also made many trips to the west side of the state to attend grandkids and great grandkids’ sporting events. An avid outdoorsman throughout his life, Stan’s family has many fond memories of camping, boating, water/snow skiing, and fishing excursions. After Barb’s passing in 2014, Stan met Loretta Houston who became his partner for the last ten years of his life. Together they attended Okanogan & Gonzaga Bulldog games and went on frequent RV and side-by-side trips. They also did some non-RV traveling, including a ‘bucket list trip’ to Branson, Missouri in 2023 with his daughter Sheri and her husband John. Stan was preceded in death by his wife Barbara, his parents James and Clarice, older brother Keith, and younger brother Ken. He is survived by his partner Loretta Houston; children Sheri (John) Helmold and Mike (Julie) Duke; grandchildren Daryl (Catrina) Ausbun, Lee Ausbun, Amber (Clayton) Murrah and Mason Duke; step grandchildren Kylie (Skye), Wendy (Cody), Lovey (Cory), and Lacey (Mark); great-grandchildren Brianna, Ahri, Austin, Colton, Sophie, Jaxon, Rylee, Charley, McKinley, Ryder, and Eric. In lieu of a funeral, family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life to be held at the Okanogan Eagles at 2:00 P.M. on February 15, 2025. Donations in Stan's name can be made to the Okanogan Athletic Booster Club at PO Box 764, Okanogan WA 98840.

James Stanley Duke

August 1, 1942 - November 16, 2024