Wanda Kepner "Juanda" Duke

Wanda, age 87, was born March 19, 1924 and passed away peacefully on March 3, 2012. She was a resident of Albuquerque since 2001. Wanda is survived by her children; daughter, Toppin Duke Hodge and husband, Robert E. of Albuquerque and son, Gregory; H.K. Duke and wife, Darlene of Sacramento CA; grandchildren Jennifer A. Hodge and Steven G. Duke; siblings Roxi Wright, Ellen Morse, Sam Kepner and Tom Kepner, and numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, older brother John Kepner, husbands Robert K. Duke and Robert S. King and grandson William R. Hodge. Wanda was born and raised in New Castle, Indiana. After graduating from high school, she attended Southern Methodist University in Texas. From there she went back to Indiana to attend Purdue University on a scholarship from RCA in electrical engineering. When the war broke out, RCA needed engineers to fill their needs so they created an Engineering Cadet Program to train women as engineering aids. Wanda finished this program and went to work for RCA in Indianapolis in their research and development branch. It was here that she saw one of the first television sets which was very exciting. Wanda also worked with RCA in the Hollywood plant where wax masters for records were produced. This affiliation with RCA led to her working at the Hollywood Canteen as part of the effort to entertain the troops. Wanda met such stars as Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Dinah Shore, Artie Shaw and many others. She met and married Robert K. Duke in 1945 and moved all over the world with him. It was during this time that she discovered she had a talent for art. Wanda was an accomplished artist for 50 years, half of which were under the name of "Juanda". Art was her love and her passion. She was an expressionist painter who was exhibited throughout the United States. Her work hangs in private collections in Canada, Norway, Japan, Switzerland and the United States. Wanda had affiliations with Kappa Alhpa Theta, National League of American Pen Women, National Museum for Women in the Arts, National Acrylic Painters Association of Great Britain (signature member, 1977) and recently the Red Hat Society. Wanda was juried into The Arizona Aqueous National Show in 1999 and is featured in Who's Who of American Women. She was a special woman of many talents, fiercely independent, loving with a wonderful smile and will be missed by all who knew her. Wanda is to be cremated. A celebration of her life will follow in early summer at the home of Toppin & Robert Hodge. Please contact [email protected] for details. In lieu of flowers, we ask you to donate to Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque, in her name, where she volunteered for many years at www.mow-nm.org