Colonials lose their biggest fan--RIP Duane Smith

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force.”

                                                                                Obi-Wan Kenobi

For years now my photography friend, Al Goulder, and I have been taking pictures at Colonial Heights High School sporting events, perhaps too many to count. But in the last five years or so, we have made a point of getting at least one picture of the person who may be the Colonials most faithful fan, Duane James.

I don’t remember when I first met Duane, or for that matter, which baseball cap he may have been sporting at the time. He seemed to rotate between Colonials, University of Richmond, and Randolph Macon.  All places he attended and from which he graduated.

Sports fans in general are an odd lot, but those who come out to high school sports venues over time may be the strangest of all.  Duane was tall and lanky with a flash of black hair that seemed only under control due to the constraints of his current ball cap.  I know I have seen him without a ball cap on, but that image lives way back in my mind.

Duane passed away this week and he will be sorely missed by hundreds of current and former Colonials.  He was a fixture at football games, basketball games, and baseball games. And when the Colonials’ took home their State Championship this year in Volleyball, only the third State Championship in school history, Duane was right there in the Siegel Center cheering his Colonials team on.

It was rare for him to miss a game.  And recently, as he was laid up in the hospital for a heart problem, he would keep track of his Colonials Baseball Team as they played through the season.  Despite not being at the game, Duane was aware of what was going on and often posted a “rah rah” comment on his Facebook page.

All of us who attend the games missed him being there. And it isn’t like he was very demonstrative, his support was the kind of support all teams need, a sort of quiet, appreciative, and understanding look at things. He loved it when the teams won, and always seemed to “get it” when they struggled. He was well aware of the uphill battle the Colonials faced as one of the smaller school districts around constantly “playing up” against the likes of Thomas Dale, Meadowbrook, and Matoaca.  Those are the kinds of games that harden a fan.  They turn a fan into a hardcore supporter, which is a perfect description of Duane.

I’m not really certain when Al and I started shooting pictures of Duane.  I do remember getting one that really was not very flattering and which I pulled down shortly after posting it, and realizing it wasn’t exactly what we were trying to convey.  I immediately deleted that image from my files.

At some point, when I have an extra minute or two, or maybe a few hours, I will go out and dig up a bunch of Duane James pictures. I have them taken at the gym, on the football field, and at Shepherd Stadium. I probably have them at many other places, but it will take me some time to dig them out.

It will be different now at a Colonials’ sporting event.  There will still be the same bunch of old reliable fans like Mickey Goulder and Hank Vencil.  But it just won’t be the same without Duane.