Obituary of Ray Eley Duke RAY ELEY DUKE Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Thursday, July 15, 2004 Ray E. Duke, 86, died July 14, 2004. Mr. Duke was born in 1917 in Carrsville, Va. to Kelly Henry Duke and Maggie Eley Duke. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his only child, R. Eley Duke Jr. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Alma Cross Duke; his sister, Audrey Duke Butler and her husband Wilson; his daughter-in-law, Lydia Duke Hevener and her husband Bill; and his grandchildren, R. Eley Duke III and Kelly Duke Drewnowski and her husband Bartek. Mr. Duke was president and owner of Duke Automotive Corp. in Suffolk until his recent retirement. A self-made businessman, he purchased Brothers Oldsmobile-Cadillac Corp. in 1969 after having been employed there as a sales agent and then as general manager since 1959. After renaming the business Duke Oldsmobile-Cadillac, Mr. Duke, his son, and their small staff labored to create an automobile dealership that specialized in the finest customer service and the highest ethical standards. His success in that endeavor is evident in the many quality awards he received throughout the years including the Oldsmobile Elite award, the Cadillac Master Dealer Award and the Buick Best in Class award. In 1996, Duke Oldsmobile-Cadillac was awarded the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award for both Suffolk and all of Hampton Roads. In 1990, at an age in which most people are considering retirement, Mr. Duke was expanding the business. He acquired the Pontiac, Buick and GMC franchises and in 1994 he acquired the Chevrolet franchise. He was, at that time, the only dealer in eastern Virginia to hold every GM franchise in one location. Mr. Duke was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Suffolk for 60 years; a charter member of the Methodist Men and a longtime member of the Mens Bible Class. He was a member of the Suffolk Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow and he supported his community quietly and generously in many, many ways. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he loved his family and friends, his business, his cars, the Washington Redskins and a good round of golf. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today at R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory, 509 West Washington St., Suffolk. Memorial services will be conducted by the Rev. Robert Parks Friday at noon at Main Street United Methodist Church, 202 North Main St., Suffolk with a reception in the social hall to follow immediately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the R. Eley Duke Jr. Memorial Garden at Main Street United Methodist Church, 202 North Main St., Suffolk, VA 23434. www.rwbakerfh.com. Edition: FINAL Page: B8 Copyright (c) 2004 The Virginian-Pilot [RAY ELEY DUKE III was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Ray Eley Duke died 14 Jul 2004. He was born in 1917 in Carrsville, Va., son of Kelly Henry Duke and Maggie Eley Duke. He was president of Duke Automotive Corp. in Suffolk and a longtime member of Main Street United Methodist Church. Memorial services were conducted 16 Jul 2004 at Main Street United Methodist Church, Suffolk, by the Rev. Robert Parks. Burial was in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia. ––– Transcript ––– RAY ELEY DUKE Ray E. Duke, 86, died July 14, 2004. Mr. Duke was born in 1917 in Carrsville, Va. to Kelly Henry Duke and Maggie Eley Duke. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his only child, R. Eley Duke Jr. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Alma Cross Duke; his sister, Audrey Duke Butler and her husband Wilson; his daughter-in-law, Lydia Duke Hevener and her husband Bill; and his grandchildren, R. Eley Duke III and Kelly Duke Drewnowski and her husband Bartek. Mr. Duke was president and owner of Duke Automotive Corp. in Suffolk until his recent retirement. A self-made businessman, he purchased Brothers Oldsmobile-Cadillac Corp. in 1969 after having been employed there as a sales agent and then as general manager since 1959. After renaming the business Duke Oldsmobile-Cadillac, Mr. Duke, his son, and their small staff labored to create an automobile dealership that specialized in the finest customer service and the highest ethical standards. His success in that endeavor is evident in the many quality awards he received throughout the years including the Oldsmobile Elite award, the Cadillac Master Dealer Award and the Buick Best in Class award. In 1996, Duke Oldsmobile-Cadillac was awarded the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award for both Suffolk and all of Hampton Roads. In 1990, at an age in which most people are considering retirement, Mr. Duke was expanding the business. He acquired the Pontiac, Buick and GMC franchises and in 1994 he acquired the Chevrolet franchise. He was, at that time, the only dealer in eastern Virginia to hold every GM franchise in one location. Mr. Duke was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Suffolk for 60 years; a charter member of the Methodist Men and a longtime member of the Mens Bible Class. He was a member of the Suffolk Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow and he supported his community quietly and generously in many ways. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he loved his family and friends, his business, his cars, the Washington Redskins and a good round of golf. The family received friends July 15, 2004, at R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home & Crematory, Suffolk. Memorial services were conducted July 16, 2004, at Main Street United Methodist Church, Suffolk, by the Rev. Robert Parks. [Ray Eley Duke III was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia.] ––– Vital Statistics ––– |------------------------------------------------| | Name | Ray Eley Duke | | Age | 86 | | Birth | 1917; Carrsville, Virginia (estimated) | | Death | 14 Jul 2004 | |------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |-------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | |-----------------------|-----------------|-------------------| | Ray Eley Duke | Decedent | Suffolk, Virginia | | Alma Cross Duke | Wife | Suffolk, Virginia | | Kelly Henry Duke | Father | Deceased | | Maggie Eley Duke | Mother | Deceased | | R. Eley Duke Jr. | Son | Deceased | | Audrey Duke Butler | Sister | Unknown | | Wilson Butler | Brother-in-law | Unknown | | Lydia Duke Hevener | Daughter-in-law | Unknown | | Bill Hevener | Son-in-law | Unknown | | R. Eley Duke III | Grandson | Unknown | | Kelly Duke Drewnowski | Granddaughter | Unknown | | Bartek Drewnowski | Grandson-in-law | Unknown | |-------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |---------------------------------| | Field | Value | |----------|----------------------| | Location | Norfolk, Virginia | | Name | Virginian-Pilot, The | | Date | 15 Jul 2004 | | Edition | FINAL | | Section | B | | Page | B8 | |---------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • President and owner of Duke Automotive Corp., Suffolk • Purchased Brothers Oldsmobile-Cadillac Corp. in 1969 • Acquired Pontiac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet franchises • Member of Main Street United Methodist Church for 60 years • Member of Suffolk Rotary Club • Paul Harris Fellow • Served as automobile dealer in Suffolk for many years [See also: www.findagrave.com/memorial/179690152/ray-eley-duke www.findagrave.com/memorial/179690013/alma-duke (spouse) http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/ced_ndx.txt www.findagrave.com/cemetery/49746/cedar-hill-cemetery ] [Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net Formattinng and references by the Southampton Transcription Project] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. 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