Duane Carl Estes

1931 - 2013

Duane Carl Estes

Duane, a kind, funny, smart, and talented man, died Nov. 25, 2013. He was born April 18, 1931 in Chewelah, WA, and moved to Bellevue in 1958. He spent most of his childhood in a mining camp 7 miles west of Chewelah and was the only child of John Phillip and Trina Rita (Westendorp) Estes.

Duane attended Jenkins High School (class of 1949) and was class president. He became an Eagle Scout at age 14 and was active in school band, dance bands, school plays, and skiing. He served in the US Army Corps of Engineers 1953-55 during the Korean War. Part of his duty was to survey uncharted areas of Alaska and Palm Springs. He received a B.A. in Sociology in 1958 from the University of Washington and excelled in architecture classes. He served as a planner for the City of Bellevue from 1958-1986. As part of the original planning group, he made zoning decisions that enabled Bellevue to develop its vibrant city center, comfortable neighborhoods, and preserved park and farming areas. He possessed a unique oral history of the city.

In 1963, Duane met Nada Fatka and they married on August 22, 1964 in Bellevue, WA, where they lived for 42 years. Daughter Annette was born in 1965 and Tonya in 1967. He taught his daughters to split wood, read maps, build projects in his shop, crack jokes, and sand blast parts to his 1929 Franklin. Along side his loving, active wife, he enjoyed traveling, participating in book discussion groups, gardening, walking and hiking, taking care of his grandchildren, and spending time at the family cabin on Lake Shuswap, BC. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Bellevue.

Those left to cherish his memory include his two daughters, Annette of Seattle, and Tonya (Sean Goddard) of Kirkland, and three grandchildren, Skylar and Estelle Mercer and Veronica Goddard. Duane was preceded in death by his wife in 2012 and his parents, John in 1980 and Trina in 1988.

Funeral services will be held Jan. 4 at 1:30 at the First United Methodist Church of Bellevue, with burial in Sunset Hills, Bellevue, WA. Memorials may be made to FUMCB youth programs or a charity of your choice.