William Wesley Durkee Jr., former city councilor and environmentalist, 1940–2026

William Wesley Durkee Jr., 85, of Waltham died at home surrounded by his family on Jan. 4, 2026.

He was born in Waltham Jan. 20, 1940, to William Wesley Durkee Sr. and Blanca Maria de la Vega-Bartleman. William was known as Bill or Duke to his friends. Duke attended Waltham High School (class of 1957) and served as a Walden Pond lifeguard. While studying chemical engineering at Northeastern University (class of 1962), Duke was in the ROTC and joined the U.S. Army upon graduation. He was the first in his family to attend college.

He served in the US Army Signal Corps in Korea during the Vietnam era eventually gaining the rank of Captain. He reminisced about his time in Korea until the very end. After his military service, Duke received his MBA from Boston College (class of 1970) and was forever conflicted when his two schools played each other in the Beanpot hockey tournament.

Duke is predeceased in death by his mother, father, and sisters Bertha, Blanche (John) , Margaret and Grace. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Mary Anne (Mulhane) Durkee; siblings Elsa (John) Aviza and Donald Durkee; in-laws: John and Elizabeth Mulhane and Margaret and John Hallisey; children William Scot (Dorthe) Durkee, Sean Durkee, Kelly (Everett) Erwin and Brien Durkee; and five cherished grandchildren Lærke, William Louis, Cameron, William James, and Brielle. Duke is also survived by dearly loved nieces and nephews: Michelle, John H., Kate, Lisa, Leah, John B., Joel, Maia, John A., Darryl, Elsa, Andy, Annalia, Christian, Lorelei, John D. and numerous other relatives and friends. To Duke, family was everything.

Duke worked in the chemical industry for 50+ years and traveled extensively in the US and internationally on business including a memorable trip to China in the early 1980’s before the country opened up to outsiders and an invitation was required to visit, as well as the Middle East, and South America. He was an environmentalist with a love of the outdoors, including fishing, hiking, swimming and camping, and enjoyed teaching generations of the family and friends the joy of the outdoors. He was a proud BSA Scoutmaster of Troop 855 (Lewiston NY) and an Adirondack 46er. Additionally, he hiked the Grand Canyon at 69 and climbed Mount Washington with his brother at 76. He enjoyed all travel and lived for a time in Akron, OH, Lewiston, NY, Carrollton, TX, but his love was Waltham, MA. The City of Waltham Community Preservation Committee was his last place of work, for 8 years, as the CPC Manager until his retirement at age 80.

Additionally, Duke is a former Waltham city councilor and taught his children the ideals of selfless service and civic engagement. He actively participated in the Northeastern University Alumni, Opportunities for Inclusion, NE Chemical Association, Waltham Land Trust, Waltham Museum, Piety Corner Club, Adirondack 46ers, VFW 2152, Trustees of Reservations, Waltham Jaycees and never missed an Arts Council Concert on the Waltham Common.

He lit up the room when he entered it and could tell a heck of a story. He treated every person he met with the same dignity you would the CEO of a large company. He always said thank you. And, he was an astute listener. He knew that everyone has a story to tell, and what you could learn if you just listened to those stories. His legacy is all the people he helped and influenced to make this world a better place.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Opportunities for Inclusion, 56 Chestnut St, Waltham, MA 02453 or New Englanders Helping Our Veterans (NEHOV), 1515 Douglas Turnpike, Harrisville, RI 02830

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Service Details

Date: 01/09/2026
Time: 03:00 pm
Location: 215 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, Massachusetts
Officiant: Irish Wake
Funeral Home: Waltham American Legion Joseph F. Hill Post 156
Website: https://brascofuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/5673815/Durkee-William/index.php

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