Roll Call Tribute

Duane Joseph Monteilh, Sr. 

March 6, 1955 - July 12, 2024 

Duane Joseph Monteilh, Sr. of Sugar Land, TX, passed away on July 12, 2024, at the age of 69 after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Born on March 6, 1955, in Fort Smith, AR, he was the son of Joseph and Doris (Meyers) Monteilh. Duane graduated from Parkland High School, El Paso, TX in 1973 and Texas A&M University in 1978.

Duane worked most of his adult life in the construction industry, mentoring many young adults who remained close to him. His legacy is one of a big heart, cherished memories, and deep connections with those he loved.

Affectionately known as "Pops," "Jefe," or "Crawdaddy" to his family and friends, Duane was a man with a tough exterior but a heart full of kindness and generosity. He was a social dynamo throughout much of his life, always going the extra mile to make time with his son, DJ, despite living in different cities. One memorable summer, while working in the Corpus Christi area, Duane rented a beachfront house and hosted nine-year-old DJ and two of his friends for ten days. Though the trip was marked by spontaneous water gun fights, boogie boarding in the face of an approaching storm, and a failed attempt to keep thirty hermit crabs alive in an igloo cooler, Duane took it all in stride with a smile.

Throughout DJ's college years, Duane made annual trips to stock DJ’s freezer with steaks and seafood and taught him and his roommates to cook. His springtime visits became legendary for their crawfish boils, which, with the help of friends from Louisiana, grew into major events featuring 1,500 pounds of crawfish devoured in just a few hours. One of Duane’s memorable mishaps was giving DJ a "gas" card for college, leading to unexpected and escalating charges for food and beer.

An avid hunter and fisherman, Duane’s hunting stories are both cherished and legendary. On one particularly cold winter day, he, DJ, and his stepson Jim got lost in the woods for over eight hours during a deer hunt. Their rescue came from a local farmer/rancher in a pickup truck, armed with a Colt .45. This wild adventure led Duane to retire from public hunting and focus on leasing property instead. His efforts to help DJ shoot his first buck were memorable, marked by a humorous exchange where Duane’s impatience to see DJ shoot became a cherished family anecdote.

Duane later developed a passion for bird hunting, especially for ducks. He was thrilled when DJ acquired a fully trained black lab named Brock from renowned British Labrador trainers in Oxford, MS. DJ and a friend also bred their own hunting dogs, and Duane kept two of the puppies. At the time of his passing, Duane still had one of these pups, Ray, who now lives with DJ, Laura, Mina, and Vivian in Austin, TX. Mina and Vivian had been asking for a dog so they are now enjoying Ray's companionship and the joy he brings to their home.

Duane’s pride and joy were his granddaughters, Mina and Vivian. He delighted in spoiling them and, when he heard Vivian had an interest in lacrosse, he sent a full set of toddler lacrosse gear to their door. While the gear is now more often used as props in playful battles than for sports, it was a testament to his love and enthusiasm.

Duane spoke fondly of his siblings and parents and often reminisced about family tales. He threw a fit when his youngest sister Valerie was born because he had hoped for a boy, wishing the boys would outnumber the girls in the family. He would gleefully tell how his mother, trying to discipline him, attempted to spank him with a clothes hanger. In his typical rebellious fashion, he teased her by snatching the hanger away and then handing it back, declaring that he was "too old to be spanked." This defiant gesture did not sit well with his mother. She took swift action, hiding behind the corner of a hallway and delivering a surprise swat to his nose with a broomstick as he walked by. From that moment on, the family hierarchy was firmly re-established!

Duane was always a natural athlete. Once when hunting on a private farm in East Texas, Duane and a high school friend decided to ride horses on the farm. Duane mounted the horse bareback, and it bolted in a full out run. The horse circled the pasture at full speed and headed for the wooden rail fence. He then came to a total stop and reared up on two legs, with Duane still mounted on the horse. As the horse came down on its front legs, Duane slid off the horse like a Sioux Warrior and calmly walked away. His friend decided not to ride his horse after witnessing Duane's near-death adventure.

Duane is survived by his son, Duane Joseph Monteilh II ("DJ"), daughter-in-law Laura Monteilh, granddaughters Mina and Vivian Monteilh; siblings Jennifer Fulbright, Gregory Monteilh, Sharon Monteilh, and Valerie Monteilh; former wife Barbara Monteilh, her son and daughter-in-law Jim and Lorine Buckaloo; close friends Eddie and Kathy Parkerson, Cole Parkerson, Jessie Parkerson, Edward Lowenberg, Don Brown; and his beloved dog Ray Monteilh.

To honor Duane's life, a celebration will be held in the spring of 2025 with a crawfish boil and paella party in Austin, TX. Details will be finalized and shared later.