Obituary: Duane Neil Hodgkinson

Duane Neil Hodgkinson
July 7, 1925 to September 19, 2014
Duane Neil Hodgkinson, 89, of Livingston, Montana, passed away Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, at Livingston Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Duane, the son of Walter and Jennie (Moore) Hodgkinson, was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 7, 1925.
He was the third of four children and was preceded in death by his two older brothers, James and Fred, and his younger sister, Joan.
He married Barbara Loomis in 1954. They had one daughter, Talita (Hodgkinson) Paolini. Barbara passed away on June 5, 1969. He is survived by his only child, Talita Paolini, and her two children, Christopher and Angela.
Subsequently, Duane married Frances Leonard in 1969. After her death in 2002, Duane married Melody Hake in 2005; they divorced in 2011.
Duane served in World War II in New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan. After the war, he finished his degree in mechanical engineering and spent his career working for Lockheed at the Santa Cruz Test Base in California.
Duane developed a love for flying small aircraft when he was in high school. Later, he acquired certification to teach others to fly.
Both in the military and during his time at Lockheed, he found opportunities to take to the skies. For 17 years, he made daily flights to search for fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains. When teaching, he often spoke of the runway as a “roadway to the sky” and delighted in helping others discover the joy of flight.
In 1985, Duane and his wife, Frances, purchased a small airport in Paradise Valley, Mont. and began the Paradise Valley Flying Service, which offered aircraft repair, scenic tours, and flight training.
He will be missed by all whose lives he brightened in a thousand different ways.
Arrangements are under the care of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory in Livingston, Mont. Online condolences may be shared at www.franzen-davis.com.
A celebration of Duane’s life was held on Saturday, Oct. 4. For information, call 406-333-4788.