John Joseph Duke Jr.

John was born in Mt. Kisco, New York. His family moved to Long Branch, New Jersey, when John was a small child where he was raised and attended all of his schooling. After graduating from Long Branch High School in 1969 John joined the New Jersey Carpenters Local Union 2250. He went through 4 years of Apprenticeship Training with the Carpenters Union. Over the following years John progressed from a Carpenter Journeyman to a General Superintendent. He had a reputation of being an extremely hard-working man who could get a difficult construction job done with quality and on or before the scheduled completion date. John has worked on and built many large buildings in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina.

John was a volunteer Fire Fighter in Long Branch, New Jersey, Phil Daly Hose Co. He also volunteered for the Long Branch First Aid Squad.

In 1972 John went on a one-day job at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he met his wife, Patty. They were married less than a year later and moved to Oceanport, New Jersey, where they had three children. His love and support of his family and community was admirable. John was a Coach and Referee for Soccer, Basketball, Softball, and Baseball as well as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout Leader. He was also a member of the Oceanport Borough Council and served on several other Township Committees.

In 1993 John and Patty bought a house on the water in Toms River, New Jersey. Many days were spent boating, fishing, having neighborhood parties, and enjoying the outdoors. In 2005 they moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where they enjoyed the beautiful beaches and warm weather.

Even though John’s profession was extremely demanding and involved him working many long hours, he always found time to enjoy his life. When John and Patty were first married, they spent many weekends skiing in Vermont. Over the years John was a duck hunter and an avid fisherman and boater. He also loved biking, going for long walks, going to the beach and pool, and especially playing golf. John and Patty spent many days golfing locally in Vero Beach as well as going on many vacations to their favorite golf course in Stoney Creek, North Carolina. The wonderful memories will be cherished forever.

John was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. John will be remembered for his quick wit, his generous nature, and his willingness to help anyone at any time.

John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patty, his son Sean of Tavernier, Florida, his daughter Shannon and her husband Shane of Beachwood, New Jersey, and his son Shane and his wife Sunny of Toms River, New Jersey. He is also survived by his sister Moira Ehlers of Englewood, Florida, and his six beautiful and loving grandchildren Julian, Alexa, Kaila, Hayden, Holden, and Cecilia as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. John was predeceased by his father, John Duke Sr., his mother Agnes Duke, and his sister, Patty French.

A private memorial service for John will be held over the summer months.