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Rebecca Jane Haines (Ervin) (1967)
 Duane William Haines, age 70, passed away on Friday, March 16, 2018 at the Mosaic House, a loving and caring group home that provided him much comfort and enjoyment during the past year. From his premature birth on August 12, 1947 in Des Moines, Duane expressed an eagerness to explore his surroundings, always ready to make new friends. Although afflicted with cerebral palsy, which the doctors felt sure would result in his death as a child, his enthusiasm and humor never failed him, even when the outside world sometimes focused on his limitations, rather than his abilities. Against all odds, he enjoyed life and had a personality that was a gift to the world. Despite a life spent in a wheelchair since his teens, Duane loved sports above all, except for his friends and family. He is still remembered to this day for his memorable devotion to the Urbandale High School athletics teams, leading the Des Moines Register to call him the school’s “greatest athletic booster” who “inspired a lot of people to do their best.” He also rooted for the New York Yankees and USC Trojans, but he cheered on countless other teams, especially the underdogs. In the present day, Duane might have had other opportunities, but he still managed to contribute to his community in ways great and small, including his work and supporting his new friends at Camp Sunnyside. He was deeply loved by his family, especially his seven younger siblings, Rebecca (Jim) Ervin, Brian (Charlotte) Haines, James (Minnie) Haines, Ramona (Tom) Sharp, Rachel (Allan) Crandall, Schuyler Haines, and Billie (Kent) Haines, but his numerous nieces, nephews and their own children cared for him no less. With an unnatural affection for fast food, rock and roll and Mountain Dew, Duane appreciated the little things in life, allowing the rest of us to appreciate him all the more, notwithstanding his inability to carry a tune when singing along to Aerosmith or The Beatles. His wonderful life was a fairy tale in many ways, despite what the circumstances might suggest, making his passing appropriate: watching an underdog overcome long odds to record a historic first-round upset during March Madness. Upon hearing the news, his best friend John Cortese wrote, “he was an incredible, strong, and kind man, who got more out of life in a wheelchair than most people do running free.” Duane was preceded in death by his parents, James William and Mary Jane (Sumner) Haines and his younger brother Brian. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made in Duane’s name to the Mosaic House at 11141 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, 50322. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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