Duane A. Smith

Duane Anthony Smith, 80, passed away on May 30, 2023. A small graveside service will be held at 2pm on June 22, 2023 at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Duane was born February 27, 1943 in Hendricks, Minnesota to Bernard and Verna (Bebensee) Smith. He was raised in Elkton, South Dakota. He joined the U.S. Army in 1962. While stationed in San Francisco, he met and fell in love with Janet Eleanor Lampe. They married on July 3, 1965, and Duane was deployed to serve as a medic in the Vietnam War. Duane also served in Germany and Japan. He left active duty in 1970 and continued to serve in the Army Reserves as a Licensed Practical Nurse, retiring in 2003 at a rank of Sergeant First Class (E7).

Duane attended Saginaw Valley State College in Saginaw, MI, where he earned a BBA in Accounting in 1976. His professional career was dedicated to public service in a variety of administrative roles with the Iowa Department of Human Services, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and the city of Des Moines.

Duane and Janet were married for 54 years and raised four children together. While she took care of him for most of their marriage, he took on caretaking of her in later years. He enjoyed reading, tinkering with computers and telling tall tales.

Duane’s survivors include his children, Theodore (Tracey) Smith of Des Moines, Gretchen (James) Wickware of West Des Moines, Kathryn (Troy) Downing of Urbandale, and Timothy (Brandee) Smith of Gilbert, AZ; five grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Duane was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Janet.

Thank you to the staff at Taylor House hospice, who cared for Duane in his final weeks.