Billy O Duke

Billy Odis Duke was born in Nyota, Blount County, Alabama, December 25, 1933. He died September 18, 2018 in Anchorage Alaska. His Parents were Inez and Claude Duke of Alabama. He was an only child. In 1955 he traveled to Michigan where he met and married Grace Fake, November 12, 1955. They had 5 children. Constance Anderson of Wasilla, Alaska; Laura Childs of Anchorage, Alaska; Michael Duke of Anchorage, Alaska; Hazel Estep of Wasilla, Alaska; and Grace Duke of Anchorage, Alaska. In 1961, Billy and his family traveled to Alaska to make it their new home. They followed Graces parents and siblings who had moved there in 1959. Delta Junction became their home. Billy was a hard worker and often did many jobs to care for his family. In Michigan he worked for Walsh Sheet Metal Shop from 1955 to 1961. From 1964 to 1974 he was the postal carrier from Delta Junction to the Canadian border. Sometimes he would take one of the children with him on the mail route. He made many friends on that long road. He made stops in Dot Lake, Tanacross, Tok, and Northway. When he lived in Fairbanks he was the groundskeeper at Lakeview Terrace Trailer Park from 1989 to 1996. He enjoyed farming and raising animals and he enjoyed his work and meeting people. Billy had accepted the Lord Jesus as his savior in his later years. Billy had Dementia and Alzheimers and his daughter, Hazel took care of him in her home for several years and when it became too difficult he went into a home care facility where his daughter, Gracie along with the staff cared for him for several more years. We are so thankful to our sisters for all that they did for him. We are so thankful to Sandra Hernandez and her family for their love and compassion to him while he was in their home care residence. He is survived by his first wife, Grace Howard, their 5 children and their 19 grandchildren and 44 great grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren and two more on the way, and many nieces and nephews. All were loved by him and they all loved him. He was preceded in death by his parents and his second wife, Margaret Smith.