Duane was born on November 8, 1962, to Jim and Lodene (Todd) Chesmore. He departed this life on May 13, 2025, at the age of 62 years.
He was raised and went to school in Ripley, Oklahoma. He graduated with the Class of 1982 and then attended Northern Oklahoma College for 3 years. Even though Duane was challenged his entire life, he never allowed that to slow him down. If he was told he couldn’t do something, he just set out to prove everyone wrong. When in high school, even though he couldn’t play sports, he participated by being the team manager. He was an avid weightlifter and won numerous titles in the drug free bench press meets, his record was 420 lbs. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. Being able to continue to hunt and fish these last 10 years was what he looked forward to so much.
Duane worked for Wiley Transformers, Vassar Machine Shop, Lease Service in Cushing and he worked as a bouncer at several surrounding clubs in Perkins and Stillwater. He worked most recently as a dispatcher for the Yale Police Department.
Duane never met a stranger. He had many friends that admired him. If you lifted weights at the Cushing Youth Center or The Gym of Cushing, you knew who he was. Duane is survived by his sister Tammy Ailey and brother-in-law, Ray Ailey; brothers Barry Ball and Bryan Ball; Aunt Sherry Clemens and husband, Jerry; nephews, Aaron Houtchens and wife, Jynna, Josh Houtchens and girlfriend Courtney, Trevor Ailey; niece, Megan Alley and husband, Dustin; cousins, Lori Nicholson and husband, David, Doug Todd and wife, Tammy, Lonny Lowe and wife, Rebecca, Donny Todd and Lane Durnal and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, Claud and Eileen Todd and Jim and Vera Chesmore.
Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at the Crossway Church in Cushing. Burial followed in the Fairlawn Cemetery.
You may share your condolences with Duane’s family at www. matherlydavisfuneralhome.com.
