In Loving Memory of

Robert Lawrence "Larry" Duke

April 7, 1945-June 12, 2026

Robert Lawrence Duke, "Larry" to his friends, passed away on 12 June 2026 at 8:20 p.m. He was 81 years old.

Dr. Robert Lawrence Duke, Ph.D., S.C.V., H.O.K.C., was born on 7 April 1945 in Medford, Oregon. His parents were career Army officer Col. Robert C. and Neidre C. Duke. Being from a military family, Larry moved frequently. He lived for three years in Caracas, Venezuela, which had a major influence on his future career. Because of his time in South America, Larry majored in Spanish when he attended American University in Washington, D.C. After earning his B.A. in Spanish, Larry worked toward a Master's in Applied Linguistics and, ultimately, a Ph.D. in Hispanic Culture and Civilization.From 1966 to 1969, Larry taught ESOL at the ITT Institute in Washington, D.C. While at ITT, Larry met his future wife, Alma Luz Elvir of Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras. They were married in Honduras on 5 July 1969. On 23 July 1970, their only child, John Calhoun Duke, was born.

In 1969, he was hired by Montgomery County Public Schools, where for the next 36 years he taught Spanish, English, and ESOL at the high school level. He continued with MCPS until retiring in 2005.In 1978, Larry accepted an adjunct professorship at Montgomery College (MD) to teach both Spanish and English. He continued teaching there for the next 35 years. Between 1978 and 2016, Larry organized and led over 50 student trips to Spain and Portugal. Over the years, Madrid and Lisbon became his two favorite cities in the world! Larry had a love for everything that involved time, including science fiction books on time travel and his extensive collection of pocket watches.

Larry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Alma Luz Elvir Duke; his son, retired Gaithersburg police officer John Calhoun Duke; his two grandsons, Nathan Dale Robert Duke and Blake Lee Duke; and his sister, Dorcas Lucile Duke Hindman of Alexandria, Virginia, her husband, Dr. Ed Hindman, and her daughter, Dr. Chaney Hindman and her husband Ltc. Michael Ruehs.

Please join the family as we honor and remember Larry's life. A visitation will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 11:00 AM until the start of the funeral service at 1:00 PM at Thibadeau Mortuary Chapel 124 E. Diamond Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Interment will follow at Parklawn Memorial Park 12800 Veirs Mill Rd, Rockville, MD 20853.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Veterans Moving Forward at https://vetsfwd.org/donate/

Care Entrusted to Thibadeau Mortuary

124 E. Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-5009

301-495-4950

www.InterFaithFunerals.com