Dushan Grkovic

GRKOVIC, Dushan "Duke," 96, passed away on July 2, 2010. Duke was born on November 12, 1913 in the small farming community of Salmon, Idaho. He was the oldest of four children born to immigrant parents, Eli and Zorka Grkovic. Duke graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in civil engineering. His career took him and Marie, his wife of 66 years, with their two children, to faraway places where he worked on major construction projects. Some of the projects he worked on were the Dale Hollow Dam in Tennessee, the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, the Kitamat Power Project in Kemano, British Columbia, the construction of a U.S. Air Force base in Casablanca, French Morocco, the St. Lawrence Seaway Project, the Niagara Falls Power Project, the National Defense Missile Silos in South Dakota and a number of projects for Economy Forms in Iowa. He was an active Mason and received recognition for 70 years of service in May of this year. In his later years, Duke was very active with Habitat for Humanity. He is survived by his sister, Helen Durand of Salmon, Idaho; his son, Wilson Duke and his wife, Carol Rose, of Midlothian; daughter, Susan of Charlottesville; three grandsons, Eric, David and John; one stepgrandson, James R. Stone and his wife, Lourdes; and one stepgreat-grandson, James Luke. Internet postings may be viewed and added at the Duke Grkovic memorial Facebook page. A remembrance service will be held at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 7500 Hull Street Rd., on Sunday at 2 p.m. on July 18. In addition, a ceremony for Masons only will be held at the Virginia Cremation Society, 1927 Westmoreland St at 9 a.m. on July 13. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the local Habitat for Humanity office at 2281 Dabney Road, Richmond, Va. 23230.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.