William Duke III
July 20, 1962 ~ September 16, 2017 (age 55) 55 Years OldWilliam Duke, III was born July 20th, 1962 in Boley, Oklahoma to Carrie Lue Smith and William Duke, Jr. He had two older brothers, Marcellus and Tony Duke, and two sisters, Pamela Duke and Renita Duke-Fair.
William graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. He continued his education in the field of Electronics at Oklahoma State University. He enlisted in United States Navy in 1984 where he served for 25 years.
After he left Tulsa 33 years ago, William met the mother of his children, Janice Towns-Duke, in San Diego. Here they raised their two children William Esquire IV and Tamika Ann. As a father and important figure to many, his love and devotion for his four grandchildren; Ariy’Ana Duke, Anay’Ja, D’Orin Jr., and Mi’Kai Ayres was greatly admired.
William would say that although he met many great friends and acquired new family members in San Diego, his true home was still in the south. William was known for his warm and caring nature, and treated those around him like family. He was known for his vivid, memorable stories that would always leave people excited or shocked. But most importantly, you always laughed and learned something interesting from his tales. William was known to be a great source of comfort whether something was bothering and you needed advice, or you were concerned about life decisions that you were afraid to make. His love was special and personal. When he asked how you were doing, he genuinely cared about the answer coming back.
He devoted his life to being a loyal fan of the Dallas Cowboys, whether they were having a terrible or an amazing season. William valued his family and glowed whenever he would recall stories about his childhood and upbringing. Although he lived in California many years, he always knew he was a country boy at heart. As William takes his final rest, he leaves this world as a retired Navy Senior Chief, a beloved family man, and a high ranking “Dominologist”. He will be remembered and truly missed by his loving family and many, many friends.
