Harley Wentworth Duane III

DUANE, Harley Wentworth, III, with his wife by his side, passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021.

Harley is survived by his wonderful and loving wife, Laurel; two children, Townsend E. Duane and Christopher E. Duane, daughter-in-law, Summer Duane; and grandson, Morgan E. Duane; sister, Jane D. Neal (Weldon); mother-in-law, Dorothy A. Zunt; close friend, Gladys Strange; and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Feild Duane.

Harley graduated from St. Christopher's School, Richmond, Va. in 1963, and was a distinguished military graduate from THE Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va. in 1967. He graduated from Washington & Lee law school, Lexington in 1970 and began his legal career at May, Garrett, & Miller in 1971. In 1985, Harley and good friend, Jim Shannon, founded the law firm Duane & Shannon. In 2019, Harley retired from the current firm as it stands today- Duane, Hauck, Davis, Gravatt, and Campbell, PC. He also served as an officer in the United States Army Reserve for over twenty years, achieving the rank of major.

Harley was a member of St. Stephen's Church in Richmond since 1950. He was also a member of The Country Club of Virginia, where he served as the CCV President from 2013 to 2014.

Harley was an avid golfer, winning the CCV "12 and Under" championship in 1957, and the CCV Seniors' Tournament in 1998, amongst other achievements. He was known to be especially long off the tee. He was a member of both the Blue Chips Golf Group, and The Captains. Harley served on the Board of the Richmond Golf Association for over thirty-five years, and was the President of the RGA from 1983 to 1984.

A tremendous competitor and athlete, Harley played NCAA golf, basketball and baseball at VMI, and engaged in many sports throughout the entirety of his life.

Harley was appointed by the 63rd Governor of Virginia, John Dalton, as a member of the "Commission for the Status of Women in Virginia" to help promote and facilitate equality for, and the interests of, women in the Commonwealth.

Harley particularly enjoyed a good game of gin rummy, or poker, with his long-time friends around the card table. Harley had a keen interest in the Special Olympics of Virginia, for whom he often volunteered and contributed in many ways. Harley's favorite song was the smash hit "My Girl" by The Temptations, and he could often be found spending quality time with his beloved poodle, Zoe.

Harley was always quick to downplay personal achievement and accomplishments, instead putting his family and friends first, and giving constant love and support to those around him. He was unwaveringly devout in his faith, which acted as his moral compass, and made him someone to whom many in the community looked up to for guidance and advice. Defending and advocating for those less-fortunate was a part of daily life for Harley, a mindset that he ensured was passed down to his children. A razor-sharp wit and gregarious personality made him especially humorous, and he was constantly the life of the party. Harley touched the lives of many, many people for the better, and he will forever be missed.

His family asks that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the Special Olympics of Virginia, IMO Harley Duane, 3212 Skipwith Rd., Ste. 100, Richmond, VA 23294, or the VMI Keydet Club. A service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Ave., Richmond, Va. 23226 (masks required per church policy). A live-stream of the service will be available at http://ststephensrva.org/memorial. A reception will follow at The Country Club of Virginia's James River campus, located at 709 S. Gaskins Rd, Richmond, Va. 23238.