Leavenworth Girls Softball Reunion- Summer 2015
Sleepy Eye lost a great one March 20 when the legendary Duke Cook made his way to the big ball park in the sky. The lives he touched were countless in so many areas, but he was most influential on the ball field…baseball and especially softball.
Pictured above is just a small handful of the lives he touched with his coaching talents at Leavenworth. In 1956 Duke started a girl’s fast pitch softball team in the small community and coached up until the end. He also helped with the Sleepy Eye High School softball squads for many seasons. Duke coached all ages of girls with patience and precision.
He also had a great love for the game of baseball. His talents earned him an induction into the Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
Duke was the inspiration for the Baseball and Softball Museum in the former parochial school in Leavenworth. He was very proud of all the pictures, news articles and memorabilia that he had put together.
He was avid fan of sports in general and loved following all the local high school sports, attending games on a regular basis to show his support for the youth of not only this community
but the surrounding area as well.
Duke was also a proud veteran, a U.S. Marine from 1953-1956, who attended every Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day ceremony.
Below are just a few comments found on Facebook about how special Duke was:
Bev Petersen Oh what a guy he was !! The whole Sleepy Eye community will miss his presence at ALL their sporting events !!
You will be greatly missed Duke! Lots of memories coaching our softball team!
Mary Groebner Oh, condolences to his family and friends. He was such a constant known in my life when growing up, always so kind. I hope he’s in heaven catching my dad (Bill) up to what he missed since his passing many years ago.
Gregg Mathiowetz What a great guy! Once of the nicest guys to all the players. We are all better people because our lives were touched by Duke!
Carrie Prechel He was a kind, gentle man. Will be missed greatly.
you will be missed by many
Martin Sellner Everyone I think can say that there is only great memories from this great person!! He will be sadly missed!!!
Catherine A. Haala Duke … thank you for being a wonderful loving man, softball coach and life coach … the world needs more of you! 
sorry to hear he has passed. He was the absolute best!Geri Lynn Swenstad 
I’m so sad to hear this!! One of the best humans I’ve come across! He literally was an icon! I’m so sorry for you and your family’s loss 
Love and hugs to all of you!
Duke interrupted so many of Darla Remus’s practices and always made them more fun
