EDGES MAGAZINE Issue 46

December 2006

In Memory of Duane

A tribute from our community based support project.
Duane recently lost his life.
 
Our very first recollection of Duane was when he walked through our doors as large as life, bursting with enthusiasm. There were no formal handshakes and ‘this is such and such a body’. It was hugs and either ‘owreight cocker’ if he was meeting a male member of staff, or ‘owreight flower’ if it was one of the females. He immediately settled into the T.H.O.M.A.S. routine and he very soon became a friend to everybody.

Over the weeks, Duane was nicknamed ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ because he was obsessed with cleaning and although this did not go down well with some of his housemates he soon had them ship-shape; the house he shared with three others was always gleaming and everything was in its place; there was a place for everything and woebetide anybody who mucked up the gaff.

Duane continued to make excellent progress and completed the programme; with the same enthusiasm and determination he set about making his little nest at Woodvale. Eventually he had a gaff that he was so proud of. Determined not to stop there he became a positive member of the ‘vision project’ at Woodvale helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

Duane had many talents, one of them being his poetry and as with everything else that he did, he did it from the heart; his poems were beautiful, especially his poetry for children.

Another unrecognised talent was his ability to sing. At a fundraising karaoke event Duane took over the stage and gave us all his Elvis renditions; at the end of the night he sang ‘ love me tender’ ( who could not love Duane) and all the girls swooned over to the stage, swaying in front of him with lighters aglow and he loved every minute of it. At the end the crowd was shouting for more.

Over the years he made many friends, everyone wanted to be his friend (he never had acquaintances) why? Because he never judged anybody, nobody was considered to be beneath him and he treated everybody with the utmost respect. He was always ready to help anyone regardless of his own problems; nothing was too much trouble, if he couldn’t help he would find a man who could.

Duane was direct, called a spade a spade; he always said it how it was and was respected for this. Above all else Duane had the most cheerful and lively personality; if you were in the room with him you knew about it. If he walked into a room you knew about that too, he brought laughter and happiness wherever he went, he had a huge heart which he shared with everybody.

Duane ‘cocker’ thank you for the love and happiness you gave to and shared with others, there is going to be a huge void in many lives now that you are gone but your memory will stay with us forever.

All of Duane’s friends from T.H.O.M.A.S. would like to pass on their condolences to his family. He will be sorely missed but we are each grateful to have had him in our lives.
May he Rest in Peace.


 

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