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St. Mary’s County lost one of the nicest men you would want to have the pleasure of knowing. Joseph Clinton Booth Duke Sr. died recently at his home in Leonardtown, surrounded by his family. He was 84.
He was born in Leonardtown on May 16, 1929, the son of the late John Jenkins Duke and Marguerite Ellen Abell. He was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident. He graduated from Leonard Hall Naval Academy in 1943 and from St. Mary’s Academy in 1947.
My brother, Charles, and I and my mom had the great pleasure of knowing this wonderful man as a longtime family friend. He had a heart of gold. He was always ready and willing to help out those in need. Clinton, as he was known by everyone, was truly a fine man and friend. We can only say good things about him.
Our deepest sympathy is extended to his wife of 25 years, Frances Wilkinson Duke, and her seven children and to his eight children from his first marriage to Patricia Ann Randolph, who preceded him in death. He was the father of 15 children and had 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He was a strong family man.
He started fighting fires as a teenager in high school and in 1954 he started as a paid fireman at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He worked his way up to fire chief and reluctantly retired at the mandatory age of 55. But his firefighting didn’t stop there. He was also a very active fireman with the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department, where he loved fighting fires and especially loved teaching fire safety to children using the character and costume of Sparky the fire dog. He introduced several generations of young children to the elements of fire safety through school visits and community parades.
He was an inductee to the hall of the fame of both the Southern Maryland Firemen’s Association and the Maryland state Firemen’s Association.
His membership in the U.S. Navy Fire Chiefs Association enabled him to travel and make friends in all 50 states. A few years after his retirement as fire chief, he trained to become a court commissioner for St. Mary’s County. After a decade of this, he once again tried to retire. Only a few months went by before he took on the job of court bailiff for Judge Karen Abrams.
He served in the Maryland National Guard for 10 years. He was a fourth degree knight with St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus Council 1470 and had held many officer’s positions throughout his years of service.
He was a longtime member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Leonardtown, where he was in the choir. He was also in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
He will be missed.
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