DUANE E. BUTCHER

Palmer resident Duane Eugene Butcher, 78, died at home Sept. 9, 2010, of pancreatic cancer and surrounded by his family. A celebration of life will be held at 5 p.m. Sept. 18 at 3161 E. Palmer-Wasilla Highway in Wasilla.

Duane was born in Billings, Mont., to Marvin and Kathryn Butcher. He served in the Army as a combat engineer, including active service in Korea, where he got his GED.

Duane married Mary Shoebotham and had two children. After their divorce, he married Darlene Schmitz in Livingston, Mont., on Oct. 6, 1961, and based his life in Gardner, Mont., where he continued with his construction career in Local 400 throughout the state. Together they had four children.

He then followed his dream to Alaska, where he continued working construction in Local 302 and helped build the Alaska Pipeline. He later retired from work at the Valdez Creek Mine.

Duane’s favorite activities were always outdoors: hunting, fishing, snowmachining and four-wheeling. Being captain of the fishing boat Joy II harbored in Valdez, he was proud to take his family and friends out to catch their limits, his family said.

“Duane was a generous, good-hearted man with a little-boy smile who lived his life with grit and determination,” his family wrote. “If one was teased with his mischievous humor, pushed by his determination or felt his sand-paper grit, they knew they were loved.

“Fish on, grandpa, fish on,” the family wrote.

Duane is survived by his wife of 48 years, Darlene; brothers, Don and James; sister, Darlene; children Gary (Robin) Butcher, Jody (Robin) Hood, Robert (Kate) Butcher, Tammy (Richard) Robertson, Debbie (Doug) McWilliams and Ray (Dara) Butcher; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Cremation Society of Alaska, alaskacremation.com. The family requests in lieu of flowers or gifts that a donation be made in Duane’s name to Wells Fargo Account No. 7428191055, which will be given to The American Cancer Society.