James Jefferson Duke

James Jefferson Duke, 74, of Amarillo died Friday, March 17, 2006. Funeral Services will be at 3:00 PM, Monday March 20, at West Campus Saint Stephen Methodist Church, 7800 West 45th, with Rev. Rusty Sieck,and Rev. Rich Jones officiating. Interment will be immediately following at Llano Cemeter. He will lie in state at Rector Funeral Home Coulter Chapel, until 1 PM Monday. Arrangements are by Rector Funeral Home Coulter Chapel. Mr. Duke was born March 19, 1931 near Elk City, OK to James Walker and Opal Forgey Duke. Following graduation from Reydon High School in Reydon, OK he was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1950 to 1954. Following his discharge, he worked for the Amarillo Fire Department, then at the Pantex Ordnance Plant while pursuing a Social Studies Degree at West Texas State University. He earned a Masters Degree in Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and enjoyed a teaching and coaching career in Texas pandhanle public schools, including Allison, Hedley, Clarendon, and Dalhart. In 1953, James married Madge Blanscet in Wheeler, TX. They have three children, Kathleen Ann Rieken, John Walker Duke, and Jamie Denise Duke. After his retirement in 1984, James studied and documented family genealogy. He and Madge also spent much of their time traveling in the U.S. and abroad, visiting such places as China and the former Soviet Bloc. James taught Sunday school for a number of years at Lakeview United Methodist Church in Dalhart, and presently is a member of the West Campus of Saint Stephen United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Billy Walker ""Ike"" Duke, and one sister, Oneta Duke Owen. Survivors include: his wife of the home; two daughters, Kathy Rieken and husband Shane of Amarillo, and Jamie Duke of Austin; one son John Duke and partner Bassam Zeineddine of Austin; two granchildren, Melissa Haskell and husband John of Amarillo, and Josh Rieken of Austin; and two great-grandchildren, Caitlin Haskell, and Christian Haskell, both of Amarillo. The family suggesets memorials be made to the National ParkinsonFoundation, Inc., P.O. Box 116931, Atlanta, GA 30368-6931, or www.parkinson.org; or The Michael J. Fox Foundastion for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Staion, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-3772, or www.michaeljfox.org. The family is grateful to BSA Hospice and the staff of Plum Creek Specialty Hospital for the loving and compassionate care they have extended to our husband, father, and grandfather.