Marion “Skip” Durke, 85, died Friday, September 5, 2014 at Christus Hospital-St. Elizabeth in Beaumont. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Thibodeaux, Louisiana to Elsie Zellmer Durke and Raymond Lionel Durke. He moved to Beaumont and was employed by the Mobil Oil and Mobil Chemical companies for more than forty years. He retired in 1991.

In 1954, he married the love of his life, Rose Dupre. This November they would have celebrated sixty years of marriage.  He was exceedingly proud of his three children: Ray, Pam, and Janet.

More than anything he enjoyed gatherings with his family and friends where laughter, good food and love were constants.  A week at Crystal Beach with the family was an annual tradition to which he always looked forward. He was a great storyteller and kept his family entertained with tales of his early life adventures.

He was an avid golfer and enjoyed gardening and traveling.  The journals he kept of his travels provided many chuckles to his family.  He cherished his many golfing buddies, his Mobil family and his friends.

Marion was a man of high moral standards.  He was hard-working and energetic and was a tremendous role model to his children, grandchildren, and to all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Rose; son, Ray of San Antonio and Houston; daughter, Pam Sweeney and her husband, Robert of Dallas; daughter, Janet Helton and her husband, Glenn of The Woodlands; seven grandsons: Adam Durke, Andrew Durke, Aaron Durke, Daniel Durke, Jake Sweeney, Benjamin Helton, and Harrison Helton; sister, Irene Landry, of New Iberia, Louisiana; as well as many nieces and nephews.

A gathering of Mr. Durke’s family and friends will begin at 3:30 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Monday, September 8, 2014, at St. Jude’s Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont, under the direction of Broussard’s.

It can truly be said, “He was a great man!”

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, P.O. Box 515, North Hampton, Massachusetts 01061-0151.