Duane W Leuthold Sr.

Duane Wilfred Leuthold, faithful husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away peacefully on March 6, 2020 with his wife and oldest son by his side. Duane was born on June 17, 1924 in Antigo, Wisconsin, the fourth of eleven children to Alfred and Gladys Cook Leuthold. The following year the family moved to Oshkosh for a job at the dairy for Alfred, who soon started his own business bottling milk in the basement and later rode his bicycle every day to Universal Motors, working there into his eighties. Gladys dressed to the nines, managing her brood and running the vacuum every day.

Duane graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1942 and took tickets at movie theaters while attending the University of Oshkosh. On November 28, 1942, Duane signed up to do his part in the war effort and was accepted into flight service for the United States Navy. After extensive training with a variety of aircraft, Duane received his “Wings of Gold” on May 19, 1944. His specialty selection was patrol plane service and he was assigned to the Jacksonville Naval Air Station to fly and train young pilots on the Consolidated PBY Catalina, an American flying boat.
Duane shares a letter from his “Important Papers” wherein he describes a date in 1945,

My most important day occurred when there appeared a note on the announcement board that a group of young women invited some of us to attend an evening of ‘formal’ dancing at the Riverside Women’s Club. Four of us attended. They had arranged for dancing, a good phonograph with a good choice of current popular numbers. All of us had a very good time dancing with all of the girls (all good dancers and all good-looking girls). They were lonely for some fun and dancing because their boyfriends were all off to the war. As the evening progressed, I could not take my eyes off of one special girl who seemed to be so popular that she never took a rest. So, I just had to ‘break-in’ and started dancing with her. We spun around a few times (she was really a good dancer) and I finally ‘broke the ice’ by commenting, “I was admiring your nice dress”. She replied “I made it”, then I said, “So, you’re a practical girl!” These were the first words spoken to each other at the beginning of a great, happy life together. I soon shipped out of town, but we kept in touch by letter and a number of meetings in Jacksonville and Oshkosh. One evening in Jacksonville I proposed to Norma Manning in the front yard of her home on Little Pottsburg Creek. She replied “yes” and on June 11, 1948 we were married at South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church at 8 p.m., Norma in a beautiful handmade wedding dress and me in a wool tuxedo.

The newlyweds settled in Wisconsin, Duane received a degree in Architecture and worked for Auler, Irion & Wertsch in Oshkosh for two years before moving back to Norma’s hometown, where he secured employment with Reynolds, Smith & Hills in 1951. Duane designed a home for his growing family and they moved to Clifton in 1952. In the late fifties, Hardwick & Lee invited Duane to join their firm, a group bent on innovation driven to create a distinct, modern style. Taylor Hardwick, a fellow Navy pilot, included in his memoir,

My appreciation and thanks are extended to my colleague and friend, architect Duane Leuthold, who was charged with managing the drafting room. He contributed advice and instruction, not only to the young draftsmen, but to me as well. His precise construction drawings and his suggestions, derived from his penetrating sense of design, were always welcomed.

Duane and son Bill designed and built a house on the Manning property in 1981 and Duane and Norma enjoyed their place on the creek for the remainder of their time together. Duane is survived by Norma, his three sisters, June Leuthold of Kingsland, Texas, Joyce Kurtz of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin and Carmen McCarty of Haines City, Florida, his sons and their spouses, Duane & Liz, David, Bill & Sarah and Scott & Lisa and six grandchildren, Riley, Sam, Alex, Kylie, Violet and Betty. Duane writes,

We have been given four wonderful sons, all college graduates, smart and successful. All have decided to keep Jacksonville as their home. Norma and I will be forever grateful and blessed to have a happy life together along with our sons, daughters-in-law and fine, healthy grandchildren, a life that could not be improved and Norma, you are the one making this all possible. Thank you!”

Whether you were kin or a stranger on the street, Duane made time to ask about our lives and listen. He disarmed us all with good looks and authenticity as we learned how to sincerely engage. His was the most expressive face, lighted like a lakeside fire on a Wisconsin night. Last Spring on the way to the doctor’s office, Duane said, “It’s hard getting old. I’m gratified to be here, but I’m tired. I couldn’t have made it without this one”, swinging his thumb toward Mom in the back seat. “She’s my thing. She’s just…so positive and never gets frazzled about anything.”

Memorial donations may be made to Community Hospice & Palliative Care, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257 or give online at support.communityhospice.com.