Duane Gene Stemmons

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlyn; their son, Christopher; his brother, Jack Stemmons; and sister, Dalene Burch.

He is survived by his brother, William Stemmons; sister, Renae Summers; daughters, Elise (Darrell) Mashburn of Lenexa, Stacy (Michael) Christie, Laura Stemmons and Karen Stemmons all of Wichita; sons, Andrew (Sheryl) Stemmons of McLouth, and James (Virginia) Stemmons of Topeka, as well as 15 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, he was the third son of John Daniel Stemmons and Leonora Rowena (Stringham) Humpherys. He had many adventures in his youth--building fences, roping goats, raising pigeons, playing guitar in a band, and working at Old Faithful Beverage Company. He graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1964.

After graduation, Duane enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1965. He spent a year in Thailand stationed at the Royal Thai Air Force Base at Takhli. He served as a crew chief responsible for maintaining F-105 Thunderchief aircraft. He earned the rank of Sergeant and was eventually stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

In Wichita, Duane met the love of his life, Marlyn June Slaughter. They were married on June 5, 1969, at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019. They had been married for 55 years when Marlyn passed away in 2025.

After leaving the Air Force, he worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone and KAKE Television. He studied electrical engineering at Wichita State University. His fascination with electronics led him to Aircraft Radio & Control (a division of Cessna), where he was an avionics technician. In May 1981, he joined Boeing Computer Services, as a computer technician. While at Boeing, Duane applied and was granted a U.S. patent for a “Computer Network Interconnecting Apparatus.” He retired from Spirit AeroSystems in 2009.

He enjoyed playing the guitar, giving away t-shirts, spending time with his grandkids, and telling Dad jokes. He was a founding member of Color Computer Club of Wichita, served as a Boy Scout leader, and attended the annual Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival. He was a member of Woodland United Methodist Church where he played guitar, told jokes, and saved lives. He collected antique telephones, Fisher-price toys, guitars, and books.

He will be remembered for his dry sense of humor, silly antics, fascinating stories, and his ability to fix anything. He was a loving and devoted brother, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was a kind and generous friend and neighbor. He will be missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing him.

Visitation will be held at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209, US, on July 24, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will be held at Woodland United Methodist Church, 1100 W 15th St N, Wichita, KS 67203, US, on July 25, 2026, at 11:00 am.

A Committal Service will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory, 11800 West Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209, US, on July 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm.