Duane Shank

Duane Shank, organizer and administrator

Duane Shank, 70, died April 20, 2022, at his home in Goshen, Indiana. The cause was complications of COPD, said his wife, Ellen L. Kennel.

He was born January 18, 1952, in Chambersburg, Pa., to Luke J. and Anna Elizabeth Metzler Shank, and was raised in Lancaster, Pa. He graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School and attended Eastern Mennonite University.

Duane was a resident of the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Washington, D.C. from 1973 to 2015 before moving to Goshen, Ind., in late 2015. He was an organizer and administrator in the peace and justice movement for more than 40 years, beginning with resisting the Vietnam-era draft. He worked as a community organizer in the rural South, in interfaith coalitions, in the nuclear weapons freeze and Central America solidarity movements of the 1980s, and as an anti-poverty activist. He had worked for the Virginia Community Development Organization, the Center on Conscience and War, the Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy, the Institute for Policy Studies, among other organizations. He retired in 2014 from the progressive faith-based organization Sojourners, where he served as Senior Policy Advisor and Associate Editor of Sojourners magazine.

A longtime member of the Community of Christ ecumenical congregation in Washington, and then Assembly Mennonite Church in Goshen, he was passionately committed to working toward the coming of God’s reign on earth. Duane was a fan of Washington Nationals baseball and Notre Dame football and basketball. He was an avid reader, and enjoyed barbecuing and playing softball. He loved music, especially blues (Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan) and bluegrass (Ralph Stanley), and played guitar for many years.

Duane is remembered as a man of integrity and humility who was known for his gentle thoughtfulness, steadying calmness, and principled commitment to peacemaking. He was a good listener and enjoyed mentoring young people, who saw in him a gentle spirit and bold faith.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter Celeste Grace Kennel-Shank and son-in-law Josiah Groff, two sisters—Calliope and Debbie (Terry) Miller, and a brother, Dan. He was predeceased by his parents.

The family expresses our thanks to Dr. Michelle Shelly, and all of the staff members of Goshen Home Care & Hospice who provided excellent care for more than two years, especially Mary, Claire, and Kim.

A private burial was held at Violett Cemetery in Goshen. A memorial service will be held at Assembly Mennonite Church at a later date. Remembrances may be sent to Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes, 1013 Division St, Goshen, Ind. 46528 or the Center for Healing and Hope, P.O. Box 195, Goshen, Ind. 46527.

Arrangements by Yoder-Culp Funeral Home.