Duane Lee Smith

A graveside service with full military honors for Duane Lee Smith, 88, of North Bend, Oregon will be held at 1pm, Friday, March 22 at the Roseburg National Cemetery.

Duane was born August 11, 1935 in Columbus, Wisconsin, to Donald and Vivian Smith. He passed away March 9, 2024 in North Bend.

During his younger years, he really enjoyed skeet-shooting, hunting and fishing.

In January of 1955, Duane joined the United States Air Force.  He completed officer training while stationed in Great Falls, Montana, and met and married Marilyn Brost, who was working as a registered nurse.  Their four children, Daniel, Catherine, Brian and Laura came quickly thereafter, as the family moved around the country from base to base.

Duane’s Air Force career began as a navigator, then a jet pilot, a helicopter pilot and finally a computer programmer and included a one-year stint flying helicopter search and rescue missions out of Thailand, during the Vietnam War.

In 1975, Duane retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service.  The family moved to Myrtle Creek, Oregon, where Duane was a sheep and cattle rancher.

He was an outdoorsman who loved shooting, Willys Jeeps, nature, wildlife and land.  Everyone knew that Duane’s first love was the wide-open skies of Montana and he eventually moved to Lewistown, Montana with his significant other, Judy Dixon.  

Duane will be remembered and deeply missed by all those who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn, and is survived by his sons, Daniel (Marcelle) Smith of Sandy, OR and Brian (Brenda) Smith of Long Beach, CA; daughters, Catherine (Joe) Seminary of Salem, OR and Laura (Dan Walker) Smith of Myrtle Creek, OR; significant other, Judy Dixon of North Bend, OR; sister, Susan (Howard) Weissmann of Columbus, WI; 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131 www.coosbayareafunerals.com

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