Larry W. Duke

Services for Larry W. Duke, 55, Fishers, an entrepreneur and businessman, will be conducted at 10:00am on Thursday, September 20 with visitation on Wednesday, September 19 from 2:00-8:00pm at Flanner and Buchanan - Carmel, 325 E. Carmel Drive,Carmel, Indiana . Representing the family, his daughter Autumn, will provide a personal glimpse into the life of Larry Duke, husband and father. Pastor Bill Goodrich will conduct the service and Linda Spaulding will provide special music. Pastor Steve Schellin will conduct the graveside service at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, 9700 Allisonville Road, Fishers Indiana. Riding motorcycles was a passion Judy and Duke shared. Because they were avid Harley Davidson riders, funeral dress will be casual and appropriate Harley attire is encouraged. Judy is asking for bikers attending the funeral to ride their motorcycles—all makes and models are welcome—and participate in the procession. He died September 16 while doing two things he loved—riding motorcycles and helping others. Larry was participating in a motorcycle ride to raise funds for The Refuge, a community outreach center, when an accident caused fatal injuries. Larry, known to most as "Duke", began his career as a salesman for Chandler's Shoes and rose to the position of Assistant Manager. He worked at Western Electric prior to joining his wife, Judy, as owners of JGL Electronics, a cable equipment company. When they sold JGL to Sawtre Electronics, Larry remained with the company as Regional Sales Manager. He later joined Curly's Building Materials as Sales Manager. When General Shale purchased Curly's he remained as a sales representative. He was employed by General Shale at the time of his death. He met his wife, Judy, while working at Chandler's Shoes. While it was not love at first sight, they started dating about six months later and were married August 12, 1978. Larry always said Judy was his best friend and often encouraged other men to "make their wife their best friend". Judy recalled a special dinner date with Larry, for no special occasion, when he surprised her with a pair of diamond earrings, a tennis bracelet, and a Movado watch. "Whatever I wanted I could have—Duke wasn't selfish", Judy said. While Larry wanted a boy when they were expecting their first child, he quickly changed his mind when their daughter Autumn, often called Missy, was born. Larry affectionately called Autumn "Dollbaby" unless she was on the golf course where her nickname is "Rocky". Autumn says her favorite times with her dad were on the golf course—she always appreciated his golf advice. Duke always said, "I would sell everything for Missy to have the education and opportunities that I did not have." Duke was always looking for a bargain. Judy recalls the time when he purchased two left goulashes at a bargain price stating, "If I get them muddy enough no one will know the difference." He was known for his sense of humor. Duke would often tell stories that would crack him up making others wonder if they were laughing at his story or because he was laughing. Either way, everyone had a good time around Duke. If he found a friend in a tight spot he'd say, "It's all good" focusing on the positive aspects of the situation. To him, life was always good. Survivors include: wife Judy Horton Duke; daughter Autumn; sister Cindy Duke, and parents Morris (Bud) and Sybil Duke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions for the Ball State University Women's Golf Team. A donation box will be available at the viewing and funeral. You are invited to go to the Guest Book page to pass along your personal message or tell a story.