The Vernon family was sad to announce that Duane Vernon passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at Sparrow Hospital.Duane was born September 3, 1931, in Ithaca, Michigan, the only child of Wesley and Leah (Smith) Vernon. Duane was preceded in death by his parents, and first wife Virginia (Graff) Vernon in 1975. Duane is survived by his wife Judy (Kiplinger) Vernon, son Rick, his wife Marie and their sons Doug and Dean (and his wife Alyssa), daughter Nancy Olenski, and her children Erica, Ryan (and his wife Kelly), Brooke, and Matt, and daughter Mary Jo Paquette (and her daughter Sydney), stepdaughter, JoAnn (Fox) Klein, her husband Tom and their daughters Kathryn Stempky (and her husband Brad), Sarah Crandall (and her husband Logan), and Emily Klein, stepdaughter Mary Jane Fox, and stepdaughter Amy Fox, along with numerous great-grandchildren.
Duane graduated from Ithaca High School in 1949. While there, he was the Editor of the school newspaper, a proud member of the men’s cross-country team, which earned the first State Championship in Ithaca High School history, was its first tennis letter winner, and was selected to represent the school at Boys State.
Upon graduation from Michigan State in 1953, Duane married Virginia, and they spent the next three years in Fort Lee, Virginia, where Duane fulfilled his ROTC obligation, and became the Fort Lee Army base Athletic Director and Tennis coach, all while earning the rank of Second Lieutenant.
Duane then embarked on a business career that included stints with Michigan Retailers Association, and General Motors. Deciding that his heart was in Lansing, he began to work at the Lansing Credit Bureau in 1959, where he and father-in-law Walter Graff built the business from a handful of associates to nearly 80 until they sold it in 1983. Duane was the President/General Manager when it was sold, and he stayed with the credit bureau after the sale for another 30 years in various sales capacities.
Duane greatly enjoyed supporting his children’s life endeavors, acting as chief cheerleader and “believer,” always being there for them. Duane found love again in 1986, when he married Judy, his wife of 37 years.
Duane was well known however, for his love of the Lansing community and Michigan State University, where his variety of MSU athletic support earned him the nickname “Mr. MSU.”
Activities of which he was most proud were raising his three children as a widower and supporting their ventures, being instrumental in naming MSU’s ice arena “Munn Arena,” earning the Eagle Scout award at 14 years of age, founding the Michigan Parades into the 21st Century, being a member of the Sparrow Health System Board of Directors, founding and co-chairing the Coaches and Athletes for Kids program to build a separate Pediatric Emergency Room at Sparrow Hospital, achieving 57 consecutive years of perfect attendance at the Lansing Rotary Club, being a season ticket holder for MSU football and basketball games since the 1950s, and co-host of “Fans in the Stands” and “Spartan Tailgate Party” pre-game radio shows for MSU men’s basketball and football games for 20+ years.