N. R. Pat Duke - Lumby

Born in 1908, in Kingwood, Surrey, England, Pat Duke came to Canada as a young man out of a spirit of adventure and settled in Lumby in 1927 after a few months working in the ABC Mine in Pine Lake, Alberta. In Lumby, he was hired to load ties but he eventually found work at a local garage. During the Second World War, he served with the Royal Canadian engineers.

There is little in the village of Lumby that has not benefited from Pat Duke's involvement. Fire protection, sewage facilities, a community skating arena or village incorporation; if it was good for Lumby, Pat Duke was there for his community.

From 1951 to 1986, he was mayor for all but two years and one of the longest-serving mayors in British Columbia. He worked on countless boards and commissions, and served as president of the local chamber of commerce. He worked in many capacities for the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

He has been a strong supporter of minor sports. Lumby residents named him their citizen of the year in 1982. His devotion and contributions to the area, most often with little or no reward, have earned him the local moniker of "Mr. Lumby." His contributions also extended beyond the town, to the North Okanagan Regional District and Hospital District and to the Okanagan Mainline Municipal Association. [N.R. (Pat) Duke passed away on August 9, 1991]