Memorial Services for Duane D. Worley will be Thursday, December 19 at 4:30pm at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. There will be a reception at the West Side Event Center after the service. Be sure to bring your best Duane Worley stories to share.
Duane D. Worley, 89, died November 25, 2024, at The Denver Hospice ICC. He was born March 6, 1935, in Alliance, NE the son of Glen M. and Francis (Fannie) Duff-Worley.
Duane graduated from Alliance High School in 1953 and then attended the Colorado School of Mines for two years and the University of Nebraska for three years.
Duane married Karen (Winkler) Carr on August 9, 1962, and they resided at 606 Cheyenne in Alliance. He was a very active member of the community; serving as President of the JayCees, a Chamber of Commerce Board member, Chairman of the Parks Commission, a member of the Planning Commission, as well as a City Council and School Board member. He was a vestryman for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and was an active member of the Elks, the Lions, the Rotary and was a Freemason.
He approached his journey to sobriety through AA with dedication and purpose. And in turn, he provided leadership and support to many others trying to achieve sobriety.
To many of his friends, Duane was known as “Mr. Baseball”. He was a Colorado Rockies season ticket holder since their 1993 inaugural season, and was a huge Rockies fan. He also loved coaching Little League baseball, including teams that his son John, and later his grandsons; Aaron (AJ), Nick and Ole played on.
His main passion and career was photography. Worley Studio, which was an institution to many sandhills communities, was established by Mable Worley in 1919. Glen took over the family business in 1932 and was joined by Duane in 1957.
He was an award-winning photographer and was eventually joined in the family business by his daughter Kathy at the Studio, which closed in 1999 following Glen’s death.
Duane and Karen moved to Denver in 1992 where they lived near Washington Park until his passing. For an eighteen-year period, Duane worked at Mike’s Camera in Denver, where he shared his love and understanding of photography with staff and customers alike.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Karen and daughter Samantha. Surviving in addition to his brother Max of Corsicana, TX are his daughter Kathy of Alliance, son John and his wife Deb of Crystal Lake, IL; six grandchildren, Aaron (AJ) Reyes, Nick Anderson, Paul (Ole) Anderson, Britt Andermann, Britanee Worley Foster, Allie Morris; and thirteen great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 312 W 16th St, Alliance, NE on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 4:30 pm. A service of remembrance and interment will be held in the spring of 2025 at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO. Those wishing to remember Duane may make donations in his name to the Alliance Old Timers Baseball Association or to the Keep Alliance Beautiful Foundation.