Horace "Smitty" Duke -- UD Hall Of Fame Baseball Player/All-American -- Passes

University of Dallas athletics and Horace Smith "Smitty" Duke are synonymous. Smitty, an accomplished UD baseball player, coach, and Olympian, passed away Sept. 18, 2010, at his Tenn. residence, with his wife Sharon LeRette Duke and daughter Teresa Belrose by his side.

Smitty graduated from Pasadena High School in Pasadena, Texas, in 1960, and received his Teaching Degree from the University of Dallas in 1964. He taught in Irving, Texas, and coached at the University of Dallas. He later taught and coached volleyball at the high school level in Nacogdoches, Texas.

In 1965, Smitty toured 11 major cities in Canada with the Russian and U.S. Volleyball teams. In 1966, he went to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to play in the World Cup matches. He received a special setting honor at the 1966 World Championship that took place in the former Czechoslovakia. Smitty was a gold medal winner on the USA team at the 1967 Pan American Games and a member of the Mexico City Olympic Team that was the first USA team to defeat the Soviet Union in the opening match of that Olympic tournament. During this period, he was considered one of the top-six volleyball players in the world, as ranked by Sports Illustrated.

Smitty was named an All-Time Great by USA Volleyball in 1990, and had an outstanding athletic career. As those who knew him recall, he was an outgoing and engaging personality, helping make every team he ever played on more fun, as well as more successful.

A June 3, 2000, inductee into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame, the two-time baseball All-American means a great deal to UD athletes, past and present.

Tom Fogerty, a May 2009 graduate of UD, played baseball for the Crusaders from 2005-09. Although Smitty's baseball career ended long before Fogerty attended UD, Smitty's presence continues to resonate throughout the athletics department, in the form of baseball records and ever-visible All-American plaques.

"At first we simply knew his name and saw a quick picture from his plaques, and boy what a name -- Smitty Duke -- what a tremendous name for a ball player," said Fogerty. "But as I got older in my career at UD, I began to look deeper into the history of the program. I began to realize the profound impact he had at this school. Although I was never able to meet him in my time at UD, I am fortunate enough to say that my name sits next to his in the record books."

Fogerty views Smitty as a true UD legend, saying the man serves as a benchmark for the baseball program, as players want to be listed with him, among other names, in the record books.

"We had never met him -- only knew his name and saw his picture," said Fogerty, "but we definitely felt his presence on the UD baseball team. He truly was a legend and I'm sure he was as incredible a man as he was an athlete."

Smitty is survived by wife: Shardon Duke of Unicoi, TN; his mother: Clara Belle Duke of Center, TX; daughters: Teresa and husband Lester Belrose, Judy and husband Bruce Snider and Rusty and husband Mark Gorby; ten grandchildren; brother and sisters-in-law: Jim and wife Betty Duke, Virgil and wife Ruth Duke; along with two nieces and two nephews; and a host of other loving relatives.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010, at the home of Theresa and Lester Belrose, 421 County Road 3054, in Center, Texas.