Duane John Horton

DURHAM, NH / SHERBURNE, NY: Duane John Horton, 89, of Durham, NH, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025. He was born in Norwich, NY on August 5, 1936, a son of the late Ezra J. and Mazie (Reynolds) Horton and graduated from Sherburne High School, Class of 1955. In 1954, he attended the 4-H Club Congress in Chicago, IL., where he was recognized for his Forestry Achievement Project for planting 28,000 trees. After graduating from High School, he enlisted in the US Air Force and served for 4 yrs in Long Island, Okinawa and Misawa, Japan from 1955 to 1959. On July 10, 1960, he married Mary Evelyn Roe. Their honeymoon was on Cape Cod, the first of many vacations on the Cape. She predeceased him on January 8, 2022. Duane was a lifelong resident of Sherburne until moving to Dover, NH in 2021, when he and his wife Mary needed more family support. He loved the residence of Sherburne, his many friends in Chenango County, and the organizations that he spent his life contributing to. Once in New Hampshire, he loved sharing tales of his hometown, how close knit the community is, what the Fire Department and Emergency Squad meant to him, and of course, boasted of the Northeast Classic Car Museum and its impressive collection to anyone who would listen. Duane was a kind, gentle soul that loved helping others. If he saw a need, he did not hesitate to do what he could to help. He adored his 2 grandchildren, who also adored him. He loved snuggling with them as little ones, loved teaching them things, like how to drive a lawn mower, and enjoyed watching them at their various sporting events. Duane worked at many places including Reese-Baldwin Oil as a Furnace Repairman, Cumberland Farms and Blue Seal Feeds as a Truck Driver. He also owned a Texaco Gas Station in Sherburne from 1960 to 1963. After retiring, he worked part-time at Chase Nursing Home in New Berlin as a Driver for 13 years. He was a proud member of the Sherburne Fire Department & Emergency Squad, serving for 37 years. In 1992, he was recognized for his service by being named Person of the Day in the 1992 Sherburne Pageant of Bands. He was also a member of the Sherburne United Church of Christ. Duane loved cars his whole life. It started when he worked in his father's garage after school and could pretty much tell the make and model of any car or truck from the 1940s to the 2000's. His love of cars led him to the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich where he volunteered as a Guide for 15 years. He also loved sports. His favorite teams were the Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics and Syracuse Orangeman Basketball. He volunteered as the SECSD Varsity Football Trainer several years in the '80s & early '90s. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law; Timothy and Sheryl (Izzie) Horton, of Durham, NH., grandchildren, Ryan Horton, of Thornton, CO., and Drew Horton, of Somerville, MA, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers and sisters in-law, Ovid F & Marie Horton and Ezra A & Ellie (Soule) Horton, and his sister and brother in-law Viola (Horton) & Mason Aldrich. A funeral service will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 10 S. Main St., Sherburne, NY 13460. Friends are invited and may call on Saturday from 11am to 1pm, prior to the service. Interment in the West Hill Cemetery, Sherburne, will be held at 11am on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The family would like to thank Duane's caregivers and staff at Harmony Homes by the Bay and Unity Hospice Care of Durham, NH. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Sherburne Emergency Squad, PO Box 924, Sherburne, NY 13460; or to the Northeast Classic Car Museum, 24 Rexford St., Norwich, NY 13815. To send a condolence online, please visit www.burgessandtedescofuneralhomes.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Duane, please visit our floral store.