Donald Edward Duke

Dr. Donald Edward Duke, 94, of Tampa, Florida, slipped out of this life and into eternal rest on April 14, 2025 while taking a break from eating his breakfast at home with his son. His peaceful passing is akin to the way he commonly excused himself from social functions - no long good-byes for "Don," as he was commonly called. People were lucky to get a good-bye at all. Although his leaving was without pomp or circumstance, his arrival always left an impression. Whether it was bringing flowers to the hostess or charming people with his high-class manners, there was something polished and exceptional about Don that stood out from the country environment in which he was raised. The son of the late John William and Leona (Dodd) Duke, he was born on May 5, 1930 in Summitville, Tennessee. In addition to his parents, Dr. Duke was preceded in death by his wife, Dr. Katherine Billingsley Duke; his brothers John and Harold Duke; sisters Betty (Duke) Cairns and Nina Duke; and grandson Austin Duke. Dr. Duke is survived by his son Donald Edward Duke, Jr. "Chip"; his brother David Duke (Pat); and sister Pat (Duke) Wilgus (Bob).
Growing up on a small farm in Tennessee, his studies, career, and Army service eventually took him all over the country and even as far away as Japan where he was stationed during the Korean War. Upon graduating from high school, Dr. Duke went on to earn the first of many degrees, including a Bachelors of Science from the University of Tennessee in 1955, a Masters of Science from Columbia University in 1958, and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Georgia in 1974.
After serving as an officer in the United States Army from 1951-1953, Dr. Duke began his civilian career at Arthur Anderson & Company in New York City from 1955-1958. He met his wife of nearly 65 years, at Columbia University and they were married in New York, New York on August 10, 1958. From New York, Dr. Duke took his first job as a Certified Public Accountant for Marwick Mitchell & Company in Dallas, Texas from 1958-1962. He also worked as a Controller for Industrial Life Insurance Company from 1962-1965 and Boise Cascade International Inc., from 1965-1968. As quickly as his money came in, he was even quicker about giving his money away. Whether it was helping out with the college tuition of his younger siblings or the cost of a nursing home for his in-laws, Dr. Duke was known to be a generous man throughout his life. In fact, his little brother David, 14-years his junior, would not be here today, if it weren't for big brother Don jumping into the river where the boys went tubing and saving his life when he got stuck in the deep side of the river under the rushing water.
Out of his generous spirit, Dr. Duke eventually transitioned his career from the corporate world to academia, where he could share his great gift of intelligence and mathematical skills with the next generation. Moving closer to his hometown roots, he became an Assistant Professor at Tennessee Technology University in Cookeville from 1969-1971 and at the University of Georgia in Athens from 1971-1972. He was a professor at the University of Tennessee in Nashville from 1972-1979 and Tennessee State University in Nashville from 1979-1981. He was also a Professor of Accounting and Finance at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga from 1981-1984 until finishing out his career as an Associate Professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. In addition to his noteworthy career, he was also listed among Marquis' Who's Who, and kept membership with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association, and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.
The body was prepared for burial at MacDonald Funeral Home in Tampa, Fla. and received by the Central Funeral Home in Manchester, Tenn. The family will celebrate his life at a graveside service on April 26, 2025 at 12 p.m. at the Summitville Cemetery located at 462 Summitville Road, Manchester, TN 37355.