Duane Xavier Urquhart

No one thought Duane X. Urquhart would pass on August 29, 2024--certainly not his family. Even his doctors, nurses, medical staff or lab technicians who called him "trouble" when he would come to the lab to have his blood drawn weekly thought his veins were too tough to "give in." Duane's veins had the characteristic of hiding and rolling when they saw the needle coming. But he passed away at the end of August, just shy of his 77th birthday. All who knew him understood and admired his determination and resolve to survive multiple myeloma, kidney failure, and bladder cancer. Duane was born in Flint, Michigan to Andrew Urquhart and Johnnie Mariah Young. He was the eldest of three children. After his father, Andrew Urquhart, died when Duane was 12, Duane became the man of the house, advising, caring and sometimes teasing his little sisters who, for most of their lives, lovingly called him "Bubba."

As he grew up, Duane was attracted to flying as a junior cadet and enjoyed the discipline of the experience. Joining the Air Force seemed to be a natural outcome but he had not planned to use his flying skills in the Air Force in Vietnam. Despite the turbulence of the Vietnam era, Duane managed to have three children, Daryl, India and Dujuan X. and a steady job with General Motors as a security policeman. His life changed when his wife, Vivian Toles, suddenly passed away. Duane responded to this tragedy with characteristic resolve to rear his children himself. Duane was also preceded in death by a grandson, Jeffrey D. January.

The rewards of this early devotion to Duane's rearing his children have been plentiful. As his children began to have children of their own, Duane married in later years, Australia Tarver and is survived by his sisters, Mona Lynn (Marion Leonard) James; Freida Urquhart; three grandchildren, Auburney M. January, Dujuan X. Urquhart Jr., Jamil J. Urquhart; four great-grandchildren Jeremiah January, Ajani Urquhart, Stently Urquhart and baby Urquhart on the way.

One constant in the Urquhart family's life and a source of great joy to Duane is his father's (Andrew Urquhart) brother, Ronald (Vonetta) Urquhart, who, as a family elder and uncle invites relatives and friends to a celebration of Duane X. Urquhart's life. A visitation will be held at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday, Sept.13, 2024 at 8:00 am followed by a funeral service at 10am and catered reception at 11am.