Duane was born October 18, 1950 in Mobridge, SD, the son of Peter "Pete" and Theresa "Tracy" (Raba) Kosters. He attended Selby Grade School and graduated from Selby High School in 1968. He attended one year at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD. He served our country in the US Air Force for four years at a remote mobile bomb scoring site in Bismarck, ND. From that site, he was assigned temporary duty assignments with six months served in Vietnam; six months in the Philippines; and other various locations around the United States as a Radar Technician, Radar Operator. During his duty in Vietnam, he was most proud of being part of a group of radar technicians who taught precise maneuvers to the bomber pilots through radar directed bombing runs. This spot-on bombing resulted in North Vietnam finally conceding to release American prisoners of war. After his Honorable Discharge from the US Air Force in January 1974, he returned home and received a diploma from a self-taught course through National Technical Schools for Master Course Color Television Servicing in which he built his own color television. In 1982, Duane attended Jamestown College, Jamestown, ND, and eventually transferred to Central State University (now known as University of Central Oklahoma), Edmond, OK graduating May 10, 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with an Option in Management.
While off-duty in Bismarck, ND, Duane decided to join the tradition of the local teenagers and college kids of "dragging" Main Street. After one of his shifts, Duane and an Air Force buddy were riding their motorcycles when they stopped at the teen gathering spot (which was the Sweetheart Bakery parking lot), and called out to a carload of girls to stop and chat with them. This was the night Duane met the love and "sweetheart" of his life, Deborah "Debbie" Glatt. On April 17, 1974, these two sweethearts married at St. Anne Catholic Church in Bismarck, ND.
They made their first home in Bismarck in 1974. Duane was employed by Cable TV and then The Bureau of Reclamation as an Apprentice Electrician. In 1976, Duane was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an Electronics Technician, which prompted their move to Jamestown, ND in 1977. When the FAA began to restructure their organization, Duane applied for Basic Instructor Training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, OK, and was accepted as an instructor in NavAids, ILS, and eventually, the HOST computer system. This moved the family to Oklahoma City in July of 1985.
Duane retired from the FAA in Oklahoma City in February 2007 and started a contract career for the ERAM Air Traffic Control project and has been employed by ATSA, Keybridge, and ECS. This job took him and Debbie to many places between 2007 and 2012: Oklahoma City, OK; Rockville, MD; Palmdale, CA; Houston, TX; Olathe, KS; and Jacksonville, FL.
He is survived by his wife Deborah "Debbie"; his children, Daren Kosters (Laura) of Oklahoma City, OK, Diane Baker (Troy) of Edmond, OK, Donovan Kosters (Whitney) of Edmond, OK and Deidra Sexton (Fred) of Edmond, OK; his grandchildren, Isabella Kosters, Alexis Kosters, Tenley Baker, Daltyn Baker, Imogen Sexton, Leander Sexton, Roman Kosters and Leo Kosters; and his parents-in-law, Virginia Orr of Novato, CA, Laurena Idler of Selby, SD, Elaine Kosters of Selby, SD, Florence Karst of Selby, SD and Gerald "CJ" Niemiller of Selby, SD. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, loved ones and friends.
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