Duff Maki

Duff Maki, 71, passed away on July 20th in his Tallahassee, FL home that he and his beloved wife, Peggy shared, after a valiant battle with cancer. Duff was born in Springfield, MA to Joan and Orville Maki on August 14, 1948. He attended Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and then went to the University of Tennessee-Martin, where he played football and was a member of ROTC. Post-schooling, Duff served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, where he completed Ranger School. As a Special Forces Infantry Unit Commander in the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Bronze Star (3 Awards), Army Commendation Medal (with Valor Device), Republic of Vietnam Ranger Badge, Vietnam Service Medal with three campaign stars, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. After serving his country, Duff worked as an executive for Coca-Cola Enterprises in Atlanta, GA. In 1994, he moved back to Fort Walton Beach and completed his master’s in counseling at Troy State University. There, he reconnected with Peggy (Rookstool), and they were married on June 14, 1996, in Pensacola, FL. Duff then worked as a high-school teacher, guidance counselor, and coach at his alma mater, Choctawhatchee. Later moving to Tallahassee in 2002, Duff accepted a job, at the Florida Department of Forestry, where he spent his days walking Bear Creek State Park and teaching school groups. In addition, Duff was a man of faith and served Faith Presbyterian Church in various roles of Deacon, Elder, and Grief Counselor. Always called to serve others, the number of lives Duff touched over his years are countless. Duff is survived by his cherished wife Peggy; daughters Jennifer (Jess Brown), Stephanie (Tim Anderson), and Courtney (Derek Whitis); sister Dianne (Jeff Lange); and grandchildren Claire, Bennett, and Anna Kate Brown, Sydney Anderson, and Carson Whitis; nephew Nathan Lange; and niece Molly Lange. The Celebration of the Life of Duff Maki will take place at 3PM on Monday, November 23, 2020, at Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 N. Meridian Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Due to COVID, and the restricted number of seats for the Celebration of Life, the progam will be live-streamed, and also ready for viewing on the church's website following the program at https://faithpcusa.org/. Memorials may be given to the Faith Presbyterian Preschool Scholarship Fund in his name. Todd Wahlquist with Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Maki family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Duff Maki

August 14, 1948 - July 20, 2020