Duane "Dude" McCumber

Duane McCumber was a fun-loving man who lived his life at one speed: full throttle. He was an avid outdoorsman, a proud veteran, and a loving husband, father and friend. He had a passion for racing, and whether it was watching on TV, or from behind the handlebars of his motorcycle, Duane had an unquenchable need for speed. He was taken from us too soon, yet his life, and his love, lives on in all who knew him.

Duane's story began on a warm spring day in 1971, in the midst of tumultuous times in this country. The Vietnam War continued overseas, dominating the headlines, as protests rang out across the country, now deeply divided on issues of war, race and other social issues. Yet amidst the turmoil, one family in the beautiful beachfront town of Ludington found reason to celebrate. On May 22, 1971, a warm, sunny Saturday, Duane and Beverly (Silvis) McCumber welcomed a baby boy, a son they named Duane Ivan McCumber.

Little Duane was the youngest of three children, joining older siblings Glenn and Julie in the McCumber home. His father worked for the Mason County Road Commission, while his mother raised the children. Duane attended Summit Elementary School, OJ DeJonge Junior High and then transferred to Mason County Eastern schools, where he graduated in 1989. Always well-liked by everyone who met him, Duane made many close friends growing up. His tight-knit band of buddies included Jimmy Jensen, Jesse Watkins, his cousin Ivan Henry with his ever-present dog Dummy, Craig Tyndall, Rob Dodson and of course, his best friend, brother Glenn. Duane's mom tagged him with the nickname "Dude" which went along with his brother's, which was "Buck". The nickname stuck throughout his life.

Growing up in Mason County, Duane developed a great love for the great outdoors, which the area offered in abundance. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and found his first true love: NASCAR racing. He loved racing of many kinds and wWhen he wasn't watching races on TV, he was running them as a member of the Mason County Eastern cross country team. In his spare time, Duane got his first job, pulling pine trees for Needlefast Evergreen Service.

After graduating from high school, Duane enlisted in the U.S. Army, and did his basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Duane worked hard at his training, but may have had it easier than some, thanks to the common interest he and his sergeant shared in country music. After basic, Duane was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, before he was sent to Kuwait during Desert Storm, where he proudly served with the 3rd Infantry.

His father had remarried, and he and his wife Jean ("Skip") had a tree with pictures of all the men from Mason County serving in the Gulf War. It was a great day for the whole family when Duane returned home to remove his own picture from the tree. He was very proud of his service, and as a child he loved going to the Freedom Parade in Ludington on the Fourth of July, watching the veterans march along with the American Flag. When he returned from Kuwait, he marched in that very parade, this time as a proud veteran.

When he first returned from Saudi Arabia, he was stationed in North Carolina. At that time he became the proud father of a beautiful baby boy, James Marc Edward McCumber. Duane and Marc moved back to Scottville where Duane found a job at UPS. During the time he spent in Fayetteville, NC, Duane bought his beloved motorcycle with money he had earned while in the service. It was one of his favorite toys and he and his dad shared many great rides together when he was back in Michigan.

Sometime after returning to Scottville, Duane served as best man in a friend's wedding and met a beautiful woman named Amy Marek, one of the bridesmaids. She was immediately attracted to the tall, handsome Duane with his contagious smile and outgoing personality. On their first date they went camping together, and that was all it took for them to fall in love. They were married on June 10, 2000 at the United Methodist Church in Ludington.

The newlyweds moved to Sault Ste. Marie, where Amy had a job waiting for her. Not long afterward, on April 4, 2001, they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Erica Jean.

In 2003, the young family moved closer to home, to Traverse City, where Duane went to work for Britten Media, where he specialized in making huge advertising banners.

When he wasn't working to provide for his beloved family, Duane had his many hobbies to keep him busy. Duane loved his country music, which always seemed to be playing wherever he was, and provided the soundtrack to his life. He loved to eat, anything and everything, from fish he caught, to venison he hunted, to pies his wife baked. He enjoyed going four-wheeling with his brother, camping, tubing on the Little Manistee and Platte Rivers, canoeing on the Pere Marquette River, or flying around on his motorcycle.

Of course, the race fan he was meant Sundays were always reserved for the NASCAR race on TV. One of the highlights of his life was getting his picture taken with his idol, Dale Earnhardt, Sr., in 1998. Duane had to climb over a fence at Michigan International Speedway to get to the Intimidator, but that photo was one of his prized possessions, and represented a cherished memory.

Most of all, Duane loved his family dearly. For all his fun-loving antics, he was a very responsible person who always put his family's needs ahead of his own, and was a wonderful husband and father. He doted on his daughter Erica, patiently playing tea party with her, or taking her fishing with him, while he and Marc spent countless hours together on the motorcyle. He was, in so many ways, a big kid himself, and Christmas was always special to him, especially with his children. He loved watching them tear open their gifts on Christmas morning, right before he tore open his own!

That was Duane, though. Such a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky man, who lived every day like it was Christmas Day. It was part of his charm, and helped to make everyone he met feel immediately drawn to him as a friend.

Sadly, Duane died on Saturday, August 12, 2006, after a brief, but valiant, battle with cancer. He was a terrific man, beloved by everyone. Duane was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother and friend, who lived each day the same way, at the same speed. Along the way, he taught us all to do the same. He will be greatly missed.

Duane "Dude" McCumber died on Saturday, August 12, 2006 at the Munson Hospice Home in Traverse City following his battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers Robert McCumber and Willis "Jim" Silvis, his step-sister Dawn Schrink, and his Uncle Ivan Silvis. He will be greatly missed by his wife Amy; his children Marc Edward, and Erica Jean; his father and stepmother Duane H. and Jean "Skip" McCumber of Fountain; his mother Beverly Kelly of Ludington; his brother Glenn McCumber and his son Keri Hurst; his sister and brother-in-law Julie and Patrick McGilvray, and their daughter Lauren; his stepbrothers George, Robert, and Geoffrey Schrink; his maternal grandmother Nioma Silvis; his paternal grandmother Leona McCumber; his mother and father-in-law John and Pam Marek; his sister-in-law and her husband Annette and Bob Purple and their daughter Hailey, several aunts, uncles, and cousins. A Celebration of Life service will be held for Duane at 11:00 AM on Friday, August 25 at the Bachelor Evangelical Covenant Church, with Pastor Phil Douglass of Peninsula Bible Church in Traverse City, and Rev. Norm Letsinger of Bachelor Evangelical Covenant Church officiating. Burial will take place with Honor Guard rites at McCumber Cemetery. Friends may meet with Dude's family for a time of visitation on Thursday evening, August 24th from 6-9 PM at the Stephens Life Story Funeral Home in Scottville. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to an Educational Fund for his Children, c/o Amy McCumber, or to the Munson Hospice Home, 1105 6th Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.