Dwane Denver "Duke" Hunt, 96 years old, passed away on September 7, 2017 at Hospice of Miami County in Upper Valley Medical Center Troy, Ohio.  Born February 1, 1921 on a farm in Pattytown, Ohio, he was the thirteenth of fifteen children born to Otwell and Carrie Viola Besecker Hunt and the youngest of nine sons. He attended the Pitsburg school for eight years, leaving to farm with his brothers and sisters. At a free movie in Phillipsburg, Ohio, he met and thereafter married Pauline Arnett on May 31, 1941, a marriage lasting more than 76 years.  Always enjoying music and dance, they spent countless Saturday nights year after year with their many friends and family at the Crystal Ball in Versailles, Ohio. He and four brothers were soldiers in World War II.  After capture near Marseilles, France, Duke was a POW for eight months in Germany on a farm growing food for the Axis Powers and earning a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when captured. After discharge from the Army, he began working at Frigidaire in Dayton, Ohio, as a job-setter, rising to a management position until his retirement in 1976.  After retirement from Frigidaire, he spent his time as a handyman to his neighbors, family and friends and, with his brother, Leo, assisted many elderly folks around West Milton with household repairs. Duke was preceded in death by his parents, Otwell and Carrie Viola; eight brothers, Milford, Emerson, Howard, Jesse, Leo, Pharon, Lloyd and Boyd, as well as five sisters, Pearl Lesher, Almeada Schultz, Leona Myers, Fern Bernheisel, and Betty Brown. He is survived by his wife, Pauline, two children, Pam (Jerry) Sass of Tipp City and Dennis (Linda) Hunt of Troy, and a sister, Joan Bechtol Carter of Arcanum.  Seven grandchildren: Chad (Melissa) Sass of Vandalia, Kristi (Chris) Kleather of Tipp City, Kelli (Rick) Szakal of Troy, Jessica (Paul Hurley) Hunt of Brooklyn Heights, NY, Nathaniel (Allix Magaziner) Hunt of Boulder, CO, Nicholas Hunt of Fort Collins, CO, and Joseph Hunt of Denver, CO.  The twelve great grandchildren are Lauren Sass, Garrett Sass, Kennedy Kleather, Jackson Kleather, Christopher Kleather, Addison Kleather, Emma Szakal, Lillian Szakal, Amelia Szakal, Katherine Hurley, Susanna Hurley and Townes Hunt. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, September 11 at Hale-Sarver Family Funeral Home, 284 N. Miami St, West Milton. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery, West Milton. The family will receive friends from 3-5 PM on Sunday, September 10 at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Miami County, PO Box 502, Troy, OH 45373. Online memories of Duke may be left for the family at www.hale-sarver.com.

 Service Information