Tuesday, January 10, 2023
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Jan, Jamie, Torrey, Anthony and Families,
Words cannot express my feelings of sadness nor can they assuage your anguish over the earthly departure of Duke. Please know he was truly a good man and a great friend who reveled in the love of family and friends. I had the pleasure of knowing and being a friend for over 63 years. We met on Jackson Street when we were kids while he was visiting his cousin Tommy Aballe. Over the years we would play whiffle ball, football in the street, basketball in the driveways, baseball on the sandlot at the top of the street. Those were days of unbridled joy!
We went to Roosevelt Jr. High and Lynch High School together. We created many fond memories in the classrooms, gyms, fields, and pizza joints. Especially his Mom and Dad’s basement on Lincoln Avenue with Duke, Tommy Rogers, Fadge, Rick Hayden, Mertz, Paul Ryba, Ricky Wert, John Favorito, and Gerry Kolodziej playing cards, imbibing, singing, making plans. Camping in the Adirondacks, driving around Schenectady, Albany,
hitchhiking to Montreal, hanging out at the College Inn, visits to Brockport & Oneonta, Boston, and New York. Memorable drives to Schenectady/Albany with Tommy, Duke and Fadge at the wheel in search of the great meatball sub and trying to pick up girls. Having much better success in finding that sub! Driving around with Duke and Anthony and discussing the deeeep philosophical points of “Stairway to Heaven.” Ahhh youth. Those moments got me through the ups, downs, and pains of growing up. Duke was always there.
I moved away from Amsterdam to New England, California, Illinois, Alberta, Massachusetts and California again through marriage, babies, deaths, divorce. Upon returning to Amsterdam to visit whether 6 months or 6 years we were able to continue our friendship as if time and distance were mere trifles.
Through a lifetime of conversations and too many shared memories to list any further I know Duke lived to love his family as a son, brother, husband, father and a true friend to those he befriended. He also loved and was proud of his community service as a firefighter, Fire Captain, Chief, Mayor, County Supervisor, Community advocate, and business owner. Duke left a mark and he will be remembered.
It has been said by others, Stephen King comes to mind…”You can go through life making friends every year and even every month, but there had never been any substitute for the friendships of childhood that survive into adulthood. Those are ones in which we are bound one to another unbreakable.” How lucky I was to know and have a friendship with Duke that makes saying goodbye so hard. Life is filled with smiles, tears, laughter, sadness, joy, and memories. Smiles fade, tears dry, laughter, sadness, and joy subside. But memories last forever.
Rest in peace Duke.
Peace and love,
Chas Kristie
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