Duane spent his life serving the Lord through ministering to our children here in St. Louis. He moved his family to St Louis when he accepted a call to Concord Lutheran School in Pagedale where he taught 8th grade and coached boys athletics including basketball from 1958 to 1969. Many of his students went on to one of the St Louis Lutheran High Schools and a few even followed in his footsteps to become teachers and coaches themselves! Throughout his years of leadership in the LCMS-Missouri District Education Office, Duane continued

to support Lutheran elementary and high school extracurricular programs & athletics throughout the state. Upon retirement, he even returned to coaching 5th & 6th grade basketball at St Paul’s in Des Peres. Duane believed that one of the best ways to develop kids and serve their families was to invest in activities outside of traditional learning spaces. Education in our Lutheran schools goes well beyond academics to develop a well-rounded student who is ready for each next step in their journey.