Mon 16 Aug 2010
West Marin remembers Duane Irving
Posted by DavidMitchell under History, Point Reyes Station
[5] Comments
Roughly 200 West Marin residents showed up Sunday evening in Toby’s Feed Barn to honor Duane Irving, who died of a heart attack July 19 at the age of 75.
A succession of residents related their memories of Duane for the crowd, and several remarked on his fondness for ice cream.
Duane’s parents had owned Halleck Creek Ranch in Nicasio where he spent much of his youth. A “Last Roundup” pamphlet, which was given out at the event, noted Duane “attended the little red school house in Nicasio [and was] a member of the last graduating class.”
Former Marin County Supervisor Gary Giacomini (left) lauded Duane’s vision in dedicating land on his ranch to the Halleck Creek Riding Club for people with disabilities. (Photo by Linda Petersen, West Marin Citizen)
At San Rafael High, Duane was an excellent football and especially baseball player, and after graduation joined the Marine Corps.
Following four years in the Marines, Duane broke horses for Bud Farley, whose ranch was later flooded by Nicasio Reservoir, and was game manager and cattle boss for Doc Ottenger, whose land would become part of the Point Reyes National Seashore.
At the request of the late Olema Valley rancher Boyd Stewart, Duane helped establish the Morgan Horse Farm within the National Seashore and subsequently worked in the park’s Roads and Trails Department.
Emcee Cindy Goldfield introduces her mother Joyce, Duane’s companion for many years, who paid an emotional tribute to Duane.
Many West Marin residents knew Duane best for his involvement in Halleck Creek Riding Club. For more than 30 years, he, Joyce Goldfield, and many volunteers helped people with disabilities gain self-confidence and enjoy rugged terrain on horseback.
People who had served as volunteers to lead the riders and people who had been riders themselves both told of their appreciation of Duane.
Xerxes Whitney (left), who was born with cerebral palsy, said he lived on the same hill as Joyce when she started the Riding Club, and “I was one of her first recruits.” (Photo by Linda Petersen, West Marin Citizen)
Despite some difficulties with speech and the use of his legs, Xerxes has developed into a first-rate athlete and now teaches tennis, as well as writes poetry.
He and Duane had played basketball against each other and held nothing back, including “sharp elbows,” Xerxes said. “Duane didn’t care if you could talk or walk,” Xerxes added. He cared about the person.
Perhaps the most-poignant tribute to Duane was offered by a young woman with Down’s Syndrome. With unexpected eloquence, she described how much she valued Duane’s encouragement and support. Then speaking directly to Joyce, she said that Duane still sees her and loves her. By this point, I like many others in the Feed Barn had tears in my eyes.
I just found out today from a friend who lives in Inverness that Duane died. I volunteered at Halleck Creek from about 1988 – 1991, and never have forgotten Duane & Joyce and their passion for bringing joy into the lives, not only of those with disabilities who rode at Halleck Creek, but into the world. My condolences to Joyce and to Duane’s family on the loss of this one-of-a-kind human being. Wish I could have been at Toby’s Sunday.
I’m so sorry to hear of Duane’s passing. I spent many summers at the family ranch in Nicasio. I’ve lost touch with the family over the years but want to express my condolences to his family.
I worked with Duane at the Seashore and the Morgan Horse Farm in the 70s. He was one of my favorite co-workers and certainly one of my all-time favorite people: kind, compassionate, trustworthy, with an ever-present sense of humor. He was just a lovely man.
The first time I ever saw Duane and Joyce was at Rancho Nicasio at a special New Year’s Eve dinner/dance event. It was the late 80’s… can’t remember exactly what year. My then-husband, Mark, and I were sitting in the dining room and Duane and Joyce were sitting a few tables away from us. Joyce was absolutely BEAMING and Duane’s smile couldn’t hide under his walrus mustache! They were all dressed up and I couldn’t take my eyes off them! Their LOVE permeated the entire room! I finally went over to their table and told them how beautiful they looked together. They giggled and we all danced together later.
I didn’t know they were involved with Halleck Creek Riding Club, but a couple years later, we brought our youngest daughter, then 3 years old, who was born with developmental delays, (Fragile X Syndrome,) to Halleck Creek, on the advice of her special ed pre-school teacher, Dixie James at Marindale School.
Our daughter, Katharine, loved her pony, Karma, from day one! She wore her little overalls, straw cowboy hat and red bandana and a grin from ear-to-ear! The first day our daughter started riding there, I thought Joyce looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I knew her from… until Duane showed up! It was the Radiant Couple from NY Eve! So, for years, we were friends with Duane and Joyce… what an amazing pair! I’m sorry we didn’t attend Duane’s Memorial Service… but we hold him in our hearts and minds, along with Joyful Joyce, every day. Goddess Bless them! 🙂
I recall camping out on the Halleck Creek Ranch the first summer I met Joyce and Duane. Next to the fire Joyce traded notes with the folks next to her and gave us some sense of the long history of the ranch and some of the family members who figured prominently in that background. Then she switched gears to the present and and began to tell us about her latest fund raising project, one of many I imagined. The effort was a book and each chapter was the story of those who now figured prominently in the history of the ranch, the young participants who had joined the program and the horses and the land to raise the operation to a unique and higher use. She may have told that story a dozen times before; I never knew, but when she told it to us, I had the sure feeling she was writing words
to that the book for the first time as we listened.