of Chelsea, Michigan, formerly of Clinton, Maryland; East Lansing and Ann Arbor, age 91, died Saturday, September 24, 2022 at Silver Maples of Chelsea. He was born December 19, 1930 in Washington, D.C., the son of James Paul and Florence Ilda (de la Barre) Duke. Dick grew up on a small farm in Clinton, Maryland with 7 brothers and sisters where he milked the family cow, delivered newspapers, and went fishing in the Chesapeake with his dad. He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Paul, Kate, Nelson, Florence, David, and Joan. His brother Ted survives.
Dick met Marie Alice Myers their first week at Michigan State University at a church picnic. After serenading Marie in a canoe on the Red Cedar River, they were married for 67 years. He was profoundly grateful for their love and partnership and called her the “special blessing in his life.” Together, they parented six children – Kathryn (Steve) Rickard, Washington, DC; J. Paul Duke III (Lori), Buckeye, AZ; Michele (Jim) Tanaka, Victoria, BC Canada; Lynda (Diego) Duke (St. Louis, MO), Lorraine (Ali) Atoui, San Diego, CA; Richard D. (Aliya) Duke Jr., Washington, DC. He has 9 beloved grandchildren – Jeffrey (Sho), Paul, Gina, Chris, Emma, Sasha, Victoria, Fareed, and Zahir. He was proud of all of them and loved to make them laugh. His humor, creativity, and love will long be remembered.
Dick and Marie traveled extensively, including taking their kids to live in Germany, Hawaii, and The Netherlands and camping throughout the western part of the United States. Summers included their cabin Up North, which their children and grandchildren continue to enjoy, and at the “farms” in Hillsdale and Brooklyn, where they enjoyed large gardens, miscellaneous tractor work, swimming in the pond, campfires, and stars. They wintered in Rockport, Texas for 20 years, regularly sharing blue crabs with his brother and sister-in-law, Nelson & Mary, and their daughter Doro and once landing a 30-pound snapper in the bay. Dick loved cars and restored a 1931 Ford Model A. Dad bonded with all dogs, and especially loved Thor, Bear, and Archie. He once rescued the family cat from a tall tree with 40 feet of dowels and some duct tape. Dick touched countless lives with his generosity, creativity, quick wit, and passionate mentoring.
His last 6 years were happily spent at Silver Maples, surrounded by loving caregivers and lots of ice cream. A very special thanks goes to the extraordinary Silver Maples community, Arbor Hospice, and Lori Doss for her limitless patience and good humor.
Dick valued education and the life of the mind. At age 16 he attended the University of Maryland (Ornamental Horticulture), commuting with his mother who also was earning her undergraduate degree. He proceeded to Michigan State University (Urban Planning) and then received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (Resource Economics).
Dick began his career as a professor at Michigan State University and then taught Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. He served as director of the Environmental Simulation Laboratory, chair of the Urban Planning program, chair of the Certificate in Gaming/Simulation, Rackham Graduate School, editor on numerous academic journals, and Emeritus Professor, Urban & Regional Planning. He published over 75 articles and multiple books, led almost 200 policy gaming projects, and gave keynote presentations in over a dozen different countries.
In 1958, Dick developed a municipal budget simulation for the city council of Lansing Michigan using a classic military war-gaming approach. Called ‘Metropolis,’ this training exercise was used extensively in multiple countries and became a model for this educational approach.
He was an early adopter of computer technology. His first book served as an overview of data processing for urban problems, setting the stage for what became a lifelong effort. A grant from the Ford Foundation enabled his lab to acquire an IBM 1130 computer; one of the first stand-alone computers on campus. Using the Lansing project as a ‘laboratory community’ he developed a hybrid simulation, with some components simulated in the computer while others employed human judgment. This evolved into a model of the most important urban systems that served as a prototype for the Metro-Apex policy game, employed as a training exercise for many years.
Dick developed and codified simulation theory and practice in his book "Gaming: The Future's Language". Over the course of his career, he participated in more than a hundred applications of the technique in over thirty countries. His most recent book (with his dear friend Jac Guerts) "Policy Games for Strategic Management" documented the theory & practice of gaming for policy applications.
During his career, Dick received numerous academic recognitions and professional awards. The 44th annual International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA) convention in Austria (2012) was dedicated as a retrospective of his work, including founding ISAGA, the International Simulation & Gaming Association.
A drop-in memorial will be held Wednesday November 23 from 3-5 pm in the Game Room at Silver Maples Retirement Community, 100 Silver Maples Dr, Chelsea MI. An online memorial will be held Sunday December 11 at 2pm. For a zoom link please contact the family. Memorial contributions may be made to Ann Arbor Parkinson's Support Group https://parkinsonsmi.org/support-mpf/donatenow. Arrangements were entrusted to Cole Funeral Chapel in Chelsea.
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