Duane Wood Pugh

1928 - 2022

Duane Wood Pugh's life was a life well lived. He departed peacefully from this world on November 28, 2022, joining his beloved wife of sixty-seven years Martha Marie (Barnes) in heaven for eternity.

Born in Augusta, Illinois on November 22, 1928, to Phillip and Therese Pugh, Duane graduated from high school in Anna, Illinois. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Army and then attended Oklahoma A&M (aka Oklahoma State) where he was a founding member of the OSU chapter of Delta Tau Delta and a member of ROTC. Most importantly, it was at OSU that Duane met the love of his life Martha Marie Barnes. They were married in 1952 and upon graduation he was called back into the Army for the Korean Conflict-this time as an officer. Duane was very proud of being a veteran of both the WW2 era and the Korean Conflict and was grateful for the GI Bill that gave him the opportunity to attend college and graduate school. In 1954, Duane and Martha returned to OSU where he completed a master's degree in chemical engineering in a single year.

In 1955 Duane joined Esso Chemical and was sent to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to begin a management career with Exxon that spanned over 30 years. Exxon took Duane and family to Southampton England, Miami Florida, Weston Connecticut, Melbourne Australia, Baytown Texas, and Edinburgh Scotland. Living overseas provided wonderful travel opportunities for the family and chances to visit Egypt, Kenya, Europe, and the South Pacific. Everywhere they lived, Duane and Martha made lifelong friends and were active in their church communities where they had a passion for working with young couples. In the mid-1980s Duane opted for early retirement from Exxon, moved to Houston, and soon went to work for MW Kellogg-a job which once again had him traveling around the globe.

Upon his second retirement, Duane and Martha bought their first of several RV/motorhomes and hit the road, visiting most of the national parks-occasionally taking grandchildren along for the ride. They continued to travel internationally, took cruises, and bought timeshares in Hawaii and Scottsdale where they loved to spend time, especially when their children and grandchildren could join them. In 2017 Martha's declining health forced them to curtail their travels and they moved into a retirement community until her passing in 2019. Duane continued to live independently until May of this year when his body could no longer keep up with his mind and ambitions and he needed assistance. His goal was to make it to his 94th birthday, and he did. Kind, spiritual, humorous, curious, smart, nonjudgmental, gentle, generous, reverent, humble, and loving describe him and his life--A life well lived. He will be missed but never forgotten.

Preceded in death by Martha, daughters Sandra Celeste and Infant Pugh as well as his older brother Richard Pugh and younger sisters Jerene Purcell and Sandra West. Duane is survived by his daughters Gail Marie Stephens (James) and Sarah Jane Pugh and his sons Michael Duane Pugh (Drucilla) and Paul Edward Pugh. Duane is also survived by ten grandchildren Allyson Garrison (Greg), Emily Middour (Thomas), Kimberly Anno (James), Kyle Stephens (Iraida), Jasmine Stephens, Alaya Stephens, Samuel Shirley, Nicole Rioux, Sandra Rioux and Ian Pugh as well as eleven great-grandchildren Noor, Roman and Luca Anno, Maliki Stephens, Haden, Miles, Ella and Lennon Garrison and Garland, Amelia and Woods Middour.

All are welcome to join the family in celebrating Duane's life Saturday, January 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Kingwood First Baptist Church, Kingwood, Texas. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas (swbts.edu) or to the World War II Museum in New Orleans, La. (nationalww2museum.org) or to the charity of your choice.