Earl "Tom" Duke

Earl Thomas (“Tom”) " Tommy " Duke, age 84, of Washington Court House, OH passed away Friday September 23, 2022 at Ohio State University Hospital  (“OSU”) under  Hospice care in Columbus, OH after a lengthy illness.

Tom was born in Pickens, WV, Randolph County, on June 5, 1938 to William Taft Duke and Ruby Elaine Brown. He had lived in Eaton Township\ Grafton Ohio areas since 1952 where he had raised his family and served as a volunteer with  the Eaton Township Fire Department for many years. Tom worked at Fisher Body GM in Elyria until the plant closed and retired from GM in 1992 in Columbus, OH.   Later that same year , he moved to Washington Court House, OH with his wife, Genny.

Tom was a people person, loved family, and had many friends and relatives which is why he loved family reunions. He enjoyed golf, bowling, gardening and raising fruit trees ( just to give most of it away ) and was a gun enthuist who , in younger years, enjoyed rabbit and pheasant hunting with his beagle companion named Mike. Tom enjoyed living life along the countryside. He attended Heritage Memorial Church and met many kind people there. For as long as his health permitted, Tom never missed an opportunity to grab a coffee at Burger King with his buddies.

Tom is survived by his wife of 61 years, Genny ( Nee Houston ); son, Jeff (Lori ) Duke of Wilmington, OH; daughter, Lisa Andrews of Hilliard, OH; sister, Rose (Earl) Squire of Spencer, OH; brother, Charles (Linda) Duke Sr. of Grafton, OH; and by grandsons Jordan ( Tina ) Duke of Thousand Oaks , CA, Jared Duke of Blue Ash, OH and by granddaughters Colleen ( Dylan ) Floyd of St. Marys, GA, and Hope Andrews of Marysville, OH. Survivors also include five (5) great grandchildren: Anna and Noah Floyd, ,Jeremiah and  Grayson Thompson ( Andrews ) and Cadence Duke.  He is also survived by his 96 year old uncle, Jim Barbe, of Dayton, OH along with  numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother in 1993; brother, Paul, in 1983; brother, Robert, in 1964; and his infant brother, Jimmy, and infant sister, Bertha.

Friends and family may call on Monday  September 26, 2022 from 5 to 8 PM at the Duke Funeral Home 1021 Main St. Grafton, OH where funeral services will be on Tuesday September 27, 2022 at 11 AM with his nephew Charles Duke Jr. officiating. The burial site will be in Nesbett Cemetery in Grafton Township.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 for further research on Hereditary Spherocytosis. On-line condolences may be left at www.dukefuneralhome.com

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