James Robert Duke Jr.

James Robert (Jim) Duke, Jr., LCDR, US Navy (Ret.), passed away December 10, 2019, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Jim was born on October 15, 1948, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of James and Maxine Duke.

Jim was a graduate of DuPont Manual High School and received his B.A. in English at the University of Louisville. He later received his M.A. in Economics at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. After college, Jim taught English at DuPont Manual High School until he joined the Navy in 1974. He served as a Supply Officer in the Navy and saw many beautiful parts of the world. After his ship duty, Jim taught Economics at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Jim’s final assignment was in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he decided to "drop anchor" and retire in Ocean View, Hawaii. There he enjoyed the aloha lifestyle and pursued his passions of writing and collecting.

An artistic, gifted, and creative person, Jim spent a great deal of his retirement writing stories, plays, and photographing the beauty of Hawaii. He was a collector of many unusual antiques as evident in his eclectic home. Jim also lovingly cared for his two cats, Shadow Blue (1985-99) and Chocolat (2014-present).

Jim was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his brother John (Diane) Duke of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and his sisters Suzanne (Steve) Heaps of Dayton, Ohio; Karen Herring of Cartersville, Georgia; and Jeannine (Doug) Halkyard of Morris, Illinois; his nieces and nephews Chad Herring, Paul Herring, Phil Duke, Jennifer (Duke) Johnson, Laura Duke, David Halkyard, Scott Halkyard, and Shellie Halkyard; great-niece Aubrey Herring, and great-nephews Jason and Justin Johnson.

There will be a private burial in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, December 20, 2019, at Resthaven Memorial Park.