David R. Dukes

76, Fullerton

David R. Dukes seemed to be able to excel in almost everything he did.

When he fought in Vietnam, he reached the rank of captain and earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. As a businessman, he climbed to several top positions in the computer industry, including president, chief operating officer and co- chairman of Ingram Micro in Irvine, one of the world’s largest distributors of technology products and services.

But when he came home from a business trip in 1998 and his 1- year- old daughter, Savannah, cried because she didn’t recognize him, Dukes resigned from the company the next day to spend more time with her.

“Family and people came before accomplishments,” Savannah said of her father.

Dukes suffered several hardships in his life. Two of his best friends died in Vietnam. His first wife, Samara Kennedy, died of cancer after more than 20 years of marriage. Dukes met Laura Hanson Manassero while volunteering at the Make- A- Wish Foundation and married again in 1995.

But Savannah said her father remained positive throughout his life, an outlook she attributes to his strong faith.

“He was just able to use hardship to gain perspective,” she said. “He came out of everything a lot more loving.”

Dukes also gave much of his time to charitable organizations, including America’s Promise Alliance, the MakeA- Wish Foundation and the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing. He recently served on the board of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Earlier this year, Dukes contracted COVID- 19, although his family said they are not sure how or where he became infected because he was careful to follow health and safety protocols. He fought the effects of the disease for five months, at times seemingly close to a recovery only to suffer setbacks.

Savannah’s longtime boyfriend, Austin Leonard, recently asked Dukes for his daughter’s hand in marriage through a window at the hospital. Dukes had long promised Savannah that he would give her away on her wedding day.

As he fought the debilitating effects of COVID- 19, Dukes worked to build up enough strength to walk her down the aisle, but he succumbed to the disease Dec. 2, at the age of 76, before her wedding day arrived.

“He was the best person,” said Savannah, who will get married next summer. “They don’t make people like him anymore.”