Storke Funeral Home Obituaries

William Alexander Duke, Jr. arrived at his heavenly home on November 15, 2022. Bill was a devoted husband, loving father, math teacher extraordinaire, volunteer fire fighter, and disability rights consultant/advocate.

He was born in Richmond, VA to Elizabeth Russell Duke and William Alexander Duke, Sr. He was a life-long resident of Caroline County, leaving it to graduate from Virginia Tech. He spent over 20 years with the Caroline County school system, and then became a nationally-recognized authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Bill had a gift for teaching. Using his quirky sense of humor, outlandish puns, corny jokes and shaggy dog stories, he made algebra, geometry, and physics entertaining.

He was a founding member of Upper Caroline Volunteer Fire Department and treasurer for over 30 years. While he liked the excitement of fire fighting, he loved cooking for the chicken barbecues and helping with the pork barbecues for Ladysmith Rescue Squad. It was another outlet for his sense of humor.

Bill was a life-long member of Hopewell United Methodist Church. He was the third generation to sing in the choir. He was active in a number of ways, but declined to teach Sunday School. His father had held that role until his death, and Bill felt strongly he wasn’t meant to fill his father’s shoes in that role.

Cherishing his memory are his wife, Cheryl, son William Paul, daughter Caitlin, and close cousins Ted Russell, Jean Hahn, Nancy Grand, Beth Hensley, Marti Hurlbert, and Bill Van Name. His parents, Elizabeth and William Duke preceded him in death.

Visitation will take place on November 22, 5-7 PM at Storke Funeral Home, Bowling Green, VA. Funeral Services will be November 23 at 2 PM at Storke Funeral Home Bowling Green. He will be interred at Lakewood Cemetery in Bowling Green.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Opening Door, 8049 Ormesby Lane, Woodford, Va 22580.

To view the service live please click here https://tinyurl.com/funeral-duke .