Duane Joseph Murner, 86, bowed out of an extraordinary life on July 29, 2023. Duane was born to Harold and Helen Kelly Murner on Jan. 5, 1937 in Portland, Oregon, but his childhood was largely spent in Chicago, Illinois, with several years spent in Aberdeen, South Dakota while his father served overseas in WWII.
In Chicago, he attended Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School where, in first grade, he met his two lifelong best friends, Anne Molloy and her twin brother Ed. Duane then attended the Jesuit-run Loyola Academy, where, we assume, he developed the annoying habit of always being right.
After high school, Duane left Chicago for Harvard University where he was a student-athlete (diving team) and continued his habit of collecting lifelong friends, foremost among them his suitemate, Stuart Ebby. After graduating from Harvard, Duane returned to Chicago to inform Anne he had accepted a position with Prudential Insurance Co. and would be leaving for Los Angeles, California in two weeks. Always a match for him, Anne pulled together a full-scale wedding, complete with wedding dress and attendants, and the two were married on Aug. 13, 1959.
While beginning his career in the insurance and financial services industry, Duane also worked as a theater director in LA, meeting a number of actors who would go on to greater acclaim in television and films, including Jack Nicholson whom he turned down for a role.
He spent almost two decades with Prudential, and rose through the ranks to senior officer, criss-crossing the country with Anne and their growing family to posts in New Jersey, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and back to New Jersey. In 1980 he was recruited by Tom Simons to become President of Commonwealth Insurance Company in Louisville, Kentucky, where he eventually retired as a senior officer with the parent company, Capital Holding Corporation.
Duane and Anne’s new life in Kentucky, and particularly Oldham County, proved to be more than a simple career move, as it opened up many new and fulfilling pursuits, including one of his favorite roles as gentleman farmer. Their new home included 35 acres on which the couple raised cattle, horses and tobacco, and which they also developed into a children’s paradise, providing countless happy memories for their grandchildren.
Duane was a prolific volunteer, serving on the boards of numerous organizations, including stints as: Chairman of the Board for Metro United Way; Board President of ElderServe; Vice Chairman of the Oldham County Development Authority; Board Vice President of Baptist Health/La Grange; and board member of The Oldham County Historical Society, the South Oldham Fire Department and The Harvard Club of Louisville.
He was a proud Kentucky Colonel and also a member of the La Grange Rotary, the Appaloosa Horse Club and the Kentucky Humanities Council where he was a three-time Chautauqua performer. As a francophile and fluent French speaker, he also enjoyed membership in L’Alliance Francaise de Louisville.
Duane was a torchbearer for the 1996 Olympics and the recipient of numerous civic awards, including a Bell Award which recognizes volunteers for outstanding contributions of time, talent and treasure. Together, he and Anne were named Champions of Oldham County History by the Historical Society, and Oldham Countians of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce. A devout Catholic, he served as a lector and greeter at his longtime parish of Epiphany.
While still working full-time, Duane also nurtured his inner entrepreneur. Along with Anne and their great friend Ed Mullaney, he opened the very successful Doylestown Tennis Club in Pennsylvania. In Louisville, he and Anne opened Just Jazz, a restaurant and club with great music, but, in the words of one reviewer, “oafish wine service.”
After his “retirement,” Duane forged a second career in local politics, serving on the Oldham County Fiscal Court for 12 years. The first eight years of this service were spent as a magistrate (where he enjoyed being called “Squire” as per tradition), and the last four were spent as the Oldham County Judge-Executive.
His hobbies included singing and playing guitar and piano, flying planes as a private pilot, interviewing local applicants to Harvard and traveling the world with Anne (and, usually, with their favorite travel companions, David and Betsy Sams and Tom and Pat Schnick). But perhaps his best and favorite role was as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Duane is preceded in death by his parents, his amazing sister, Madeline; and his beloved son, Chris. He is survived by Anne, his wife of 64 years; daughters, Siobhan Reidy (Michael) and Michaela Hafley (Gordon); daughter-in-law, Lori Murner; and sons, Tim (Lisa), Dan (Beth), and Ed (Karen). He is also survived by his sister, Marion Harten; his grandchildren, Daniel Murner (Celine Lim), Ted Murner (Kay), Tadgh Reidy, Kelly Skelly (Sam), Jessica Mosteller (Justin), Allison Murner, Christopher Murner, Madeline Reidy, Coady Murner, Josh Murner (Liz), Elaine Murner (Sarah Burns), Jason Murner, Nick Murner, Sarah Murner, and Joseph Murner; and by three great-grandchildren.
Anne and her family would like to give special recognition and thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Helping Hands who assisted Duane around the clock with great skill and compassion during his final weeks.
To celebrate Duane’s life and his dedication to the gentle and heartfelt things as enshrined in the Kentucky Colonel’s Toast, visitation is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 18, 3 – 7 p.m. at Ratterman Brothers East Funeral Home, 12900 Shelbyville Rd. A funeral mass will be held at Epiphany Catholic Church, 914 Old Harrod’s Creek Rd. on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m.
– See more at: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/oldhamera/name/duane-murner-obituary?id=52598327
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