Gary Alan Duke was born on September 26, 1945, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Shortly after he was born the Duke family would move to Pasadena, TX where he would grow up and graduate from Pasadena HS. He would go on to attend Texas A&M for 2 years until he met and married Gail Hoelter. They would spend the early years of their marriage in Nacogdoches while they attended Stephen F Ausin University . After graduating from SFA he was drafted into the army, the 101st Airborne Division and spent a few years in Vietnam. When he was discharged from the Army, he would begin working for JCPenney as a merchandise manager until his retirement. He was an avid collector of antique bottles and Civil War items. One of his biggest passions was the history of Memorial Park and Camp Logan, he would spend much of his free time metal detecting and walking the trails of Memorial Park looking for old camp structures and artifacts. His love of all thing's history will be missed. Those left to cherish his memories are his daughter Carrie Duke-Wilson, grandson Cooper Wilson, son-in-law Chad of Humble, Tx and son Stacey Duke of Houston, Tx. He is preceded in death by his wife Gail Duke.