Duane Roger Van Cleave

Duane R. Van Cleave age 83, died Sunday March 10th at his home in Burns after a short illness.

Duane was born October 10, 1940 to Ben & Maud Van Cleave, the youngest of 9 children.  Duane spent his early years living and working on his family ranch 9 miles south of Baker, Oregon and attended grades 1-8 at the Lockhart country school where he went on and graduated from Baker High in 1958.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1958 and spent the next 4 years on a ship as an electrician, discharging and coming back to Oregon in 1962.

On August 18, 1962 he married Laura Muncey and went to work for ODOT as a draw bridge operator in Astoria, Or.  1966 he became Park Ranger at Unity Lake where he tended the park in the summer and plowed snow in the winter.

In 1969 he went to work for the USFS as an engineer. After many transfers he ended up in Burns in 1981 where he and Laura made their home. 26 years with the Forest Service he retired in 1995 and continued working as a contract thinner and juniper cutter. After an injury, he stopped thinning and went to work for the next 12 years for the HSWCD where he officially retired.

In his free time Duane enjoyed cutting fire wood, camping, fishing, hunting and spending time with his grandsons.

Duane is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Lari and Todd Higgins, grandsons Ty and Dallon Higgins. He is proceeded in death by his parents, 8 siblings, wife of 58 years Laura and sons Jody and Ryan.

Per Duane’s request, no service will be held.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Duane Roger Van Cleave, please visit our floral store.