Robert H. Duckless

1934 - 2026

Robert Harry Duckless was born on the family farm in Newport Center, Vermont, the middle child of five. His parents were Forrest Edward Duckless and Lillian Mae Butler. At Newport Center High School, he played basketball and baseball while holding jobs at Kelley's in Derby Line and, later, as a driver for the Newport Creamery. He remembered crossing the border for dancing and beer, with age not being a factor. Not enamored with farming, Bob enlisted in the military before graduation, planning to follow his oldest brother's footsteps in the U.S. Army. On the steps of the Newport courthouse, he ran into a buddy who was joining another branch, so he enlisted in the Air Force and completed a tour in Korea. With his sense of humor, he told family members that "They tried to make me into a mechanic." After an honorable discharge, he worked for the Orleans Candy Company, driving produce back and forth to Boston.

He married Marilyn Jeanne Drew on August 3, 1957, at his home; they met when she and a friend picked him up hitchhiking between Newport and Newport Center. He later went to work for his father-in-law, Ray Drew of Glover, as part of his Seaward Construction crew, building and repairing electric power lines around New England. After a few years of traveling, he accepted a position in 1962 with Halifax Electric in Brattleboro, later a part of Vermont Electric Cooperative. He completed his GED to set an example for his kids.

Bob played first base for the Knights of Columbus and the Casual House softball teams in Brattleboro, then managed the Vermont National Bank team. At one time, he enjoyed league bowling with candle pins. He always was handy, making lamps out of old milk cans and the like and building easy furniture pieces. His "favorite" workshop activity was repairing items that his family members accidentally broke. When his kids were young, he enjoyed Sunday afternoon drives to show them scenes of nature that he had discovered during his week working outside around the county. His job also allowed him to scout out the best Christmas tree each year and ask the property owner for permission to cut. Some of his best advice was, "If you're going to do something, do it right," and "The easiest place to get in a car accident is in a parking lot."

He was a member of the American Legion (where he arranged the Saturday dance bands for years) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Brattleboro (where he helped with Saturday dinners), the Loyal Order of Moose of Keene, New Hampshire, and the Masonic Order of Troy, Vermont, where his father belonged. He and Marilyn enjoyed hosting small gatherings, dancing, and traveling by motorcycle. They took many road trips around New England, as well as vacations to Hawaii, Canada, Portugal, Mexico, Venezuela, and most of the Caribbean islands. He regularly took the family to Townshend Dam or Hampton Beach and enjoyed field trips, sporting events, and lawn mower rides with the great-grandchildren.

After retirement in 1996, he began his own lawn care business and took a long-term post as the school crossing guard at High, Oak, and Whipple Streets, where he loved seeing the children and dogs passing by each day and dispensed holiday treats and dog biscuits, respectively. He was widowed in March 2010.

Bob passed away March 5, 2026, after celebrating his 92nd birthday of February 19th with a family pizza party. He is survived by his son, Allen Duckless, of Putney; his daughter, Vicki Flanders of Keene; his granddaughter and her family, Ashley (fondly called Mean Kid), Michael, Briana, and Logan Moody of Keene; his sister-in-law, Louise Bissonnette Duckless of Newport Center; and many nieces and nephews of the Northeast Kingdom and of southern New Hampshire.

He was predeceased by brothers Kenneth, Harold, and Elwood and his sister, Myrna.

Per his instructions, only a graveside service at Newport Center Cemetery will be held in the spring, coordinated by Atamaniuk Funeral Home Inc. of Brattleboro.

To share a memory or offer condolences to Robert's family, please visit www.atamaniuk.com.