Our beloved Duane passed away unexpectedly July 11, 2024, age 93, at his home in St Louis Park.

Gone too quickly from our lives, we will fill that hole with memories of his spirit for life, his wit, and the ease with which he made friends.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Duane attended North High School (class of 1949), and the University of Minnesota where he received his B.S. in Physical Education and Mathematics, and then an M.Ed. in Physical Education and Administration.

Besides his academic career, he was aBig Ten and NCAA finalist in gymnastics. Following college, he served in the Army in the Counterintelligence Corps, stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, with extensive travel through Europe and North Africa. Those days were the beginnings of his love for travel. Returning home, Duane began teaching at Northeast Junior High School. He coached basketball and baseball, hockey and swimming, managed country club pools in the summer, was a Big Ten gymnastics judge, and then one fateful day, on a double date, he met the “woman of his dreams.” He married Carolyn (Wilson) Eklin, on August 7th, 1958.

Duane continued as a teacher and administrator for the Minneapolis Public School System for the next twenty years. He completed a PhD in Physical Education and Administr ation/Educational Curriculum and Instruction in 1973, was active in the Principals’ Advisory Committee, the Minneapolis Principals’ Forum, the American Alliance for Health Physical Education & Recreation, was a Deacon at Valley of Peace Lutheran Church, and served on the Board of Directors for both the Plymouth Christian Youth Center and the Northeast YMCA. He and Carolyn raised their children in Golden Valley, and then moved to Plymouth, where he enjoyed immensely their neighbors, their quiet pond, and the birds that visited the deck. It was indeed his happy place.

But there were other happy places too. Duane and Carolyn loved to explore the world. Duane’s favorites included traveling with friends to Peru and Patagonia, Iceland and China. And, with family, to the fjords of Norway, and the pyramids of Egypt. He loved their cabin in the woods in Wisconsin, tennis courts, and ski runs.

He is survived by the love of his life, Carolyn; daughter Emilie (Sham) Khair, and sons, Evan, and Jonathan (Karen), his brother Jerry (Eileen), his grandchildren Sam Khair and his fiancé Kelly, Andy (Maddie) Khair, Madeline (Ian) Begg, and Ian.

There will be a Service of Celebration for Duane on Thursday, July 25th, 2025, at 1:00p.m. with a reception to follow, at Valley of Peace Lutheran Church, 4735 Bassett Creek Drive, Golden Valley, MN 55422. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Valley of Peace, or to Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) Attn: Megan Fair, 2210 Oliver Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN. 55411.