Duane Leslie Lovegrove

Duane Leslie Lovegrove entered the world on April 8, 1934, in Fairmont, NE, to his parents, Peter and Pearl, weighing in at 12 lbs. 11 oz.

He and his two older sisters were raised on a farm and attended school nearby at Fairmont. Duane graduated from high school in 1951 and worked with his dad and others until training for the Nebraska State Patrol.

While stationed in North Platte, NE, he met and married a 1st grade teacher, Irma (Snyder) Lovegrove. They lived in North Platte with their four children, Nancy, Sherry, Kathy and Alan, until 1961. At that time, Duane quit the state patrol and moved his family to Ainsworth, NE, where he joined the Snyder’s Inc. family business and did some farming on his own.

Duane was a Brown County Commissioner, 1970-1975, and did commercial appraisal work for several Nebraska counties. He was a talented singer and an accomplished musician with several instruments; he played and sang and entertained all around Nebraska for many years.

In 1982, with their four children now on their own, Duane and Irma moved to Arizona, where they lived for the next 42 years. Duane worked as manager of a music store for 2 years and then worked for the Cottonwood School District for 34 years in many capacities. Duane and Irma were involved in various community activities and clubs in the Verde Valley area. They drove back to visit family in the Ainsworth area three or four times every year, and also traveled around the United States, attending 40 different elder hostels. Motorcycling together with friends around the southwest was a hobby they both enjoyed.

Duane survived lung cancer, but five years later was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His sense of humor inspired many around him, including the oncology teams who cared for him and grew to love him.

He lost his beloved wife, Irma, on March 1, 2024, and three months later, he died peacefully at home on June 9, 2024. Both Duane and Irma chose to donate their bodies to science with no formal services to be held.

Survivors include: three daughters, Nancy Eppenbach, Sherry (Calvin) Goochey and Kathy Post; one daughter-in-law, Brenda Lovegrove; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and two brothers-in-law, Dwight and Jim (Becky) Snyder.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Peter and Pearl; two sisters, Maxine and Eileen; son Alan; son-in-law, John Post; grandson, AJ Davis; and several in-laws.