Elmo Duke, Jr. eagerly entered this world in Houston, Texas on February 5, 1940, as the first child to loving parents Elmo (Pete) Duke, Sr. and Mayme Calo Duke. He passed into greener pastures on January 15, 2026.

He attended and graduated from Missouri City High School in 1958, being the last graduating class before the school consolidated into Dulles High School. Elmo served four years in Future Farmers of America receiving Greenhand Farmer, Lone Star Farmer and the first ever at his school to receive the American Farmer degree at the National FFA Convention in Kansas City, Kansas in 1959. He also received Electricity, Mechanics and DeKalb Awards and served as area FFA Vice-President. He was awarded second place in Harris County’s Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year. Elmo was on the Missouri City Mustangs football team and also on the track team during his high school years. He was a great runner in track and received many medals and ribbons. He loved to reminisce about those years and greatly enjoyed going to his children’s, grandchildren’s, and great grandchildren’s sports events.

Elmo and his high school sweetheart, Rita Marianne Hastings of Alief, Texas were married on December 20, 1958. Together they started farming and ranching and during this time they were blessed with daughter, Linda, sons, Elmo, III and John. Elmo was a lifelong farmer and rancher in Brazoria County for 17 years and moved his family and farming operation to Matagorda County in 1972 where he continued to farm for 26 years retiring from farming in 1998 having farmed for 43 years. During this time also becoming owner/operator of Riceland Flying Service in 1983-1990, a crop-dusting service company where he along with an excellent work crew and family members provided excellent crop services to a large clientele of farmers. The office was a favorite meeting place for the farmers. At the same time he was still farming along with his wife, daughter and two sons who were involved in the day to day operations of both the farm and crop-dusting service. Presently, at the time of his demise he was an agent/owner of Texana Real Estate opening its doors for business in 2002. After he retired from farming his daughter, Linda urged him to go to real estate school and he readily took her advice stating that after retirement from farming and selling Riceland Flying Service since he was not happy to sit at home and watch the “Young and Restless.” This became a great family joke since he once received a speeding ticket rushing home from the office to watch it! While the family grew, grandchildren spent a lot of time at deer camp in South Texas camping out, enjoying hiking, fishing, hunting with their Dad, and collecting arrowheads with their “Pappy.” These were memorable years in his life and as the grandchildren told him many times that going to deer camp with him was the most fun they had in their whole lives. They loved sleeping in the camp house, riding bikes up and down hills, building and dancing around a campfire at night, dinner outside under the stars, celebrating New Years with firecrackers and egg not. But most of all getting to hunt with their “Pappy.” As they grew to adults many of those deer and duck hunts are being made with their families. Elmo was a strong man of faith and integrity leaving a legacy of family behind.

Survivors include his loving wife of 67 years, Rita Marianne Hastings Duke, daughter Linda Gail Greenawalt (Mark), sons Elmo (Bubba) Duke III (Susan), and John Chandler Duke (Brenda). His grandchildren include John David Greenawalt (Stacy), Kristen Kubecka (Dane), Mandy Moreno (Michael), Laura Chanek (Jason), Christopher Duke (Hannah), and Brian Duke. He also loved his 17 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandson. His in-laws include Jack and Yvonne Kirkland, Fred Hastings, Frank Planka, Caroline Duke.

Elmo is preceded in death by his parents, Elmo (Pete) and Mayme Calo Duke, sister Marjorie Duke Planka, and brother Anthony Duke along with his father and mother-in-law Chandler and Melva Hastings and brother-in-law Jack Hastings. He was also preceded in death by his grandson Elmo Cody Duke IV.

There will be a visitation at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City, Texas on Monday, January 19, 2026, from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM followed by the funeral at 10:00 AM with Louis Rush officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery with a meal at Beneath the Oaks afterwards. Pallbearers will be Christopher Duke, Brian Duke, John David Greenawalt, Dane Kubecka, Michael Moreno, and Jason Chanek.