Ralph Duke Powell Jr.
Ralph Duke Powell Jr. of Peterborough, NH, formerly of Harrisville, NH and Chatham, NJ, passed away on November 3, 2016 in the presence of his beloved wife of 66 years, Nancy Richardson Powell, and his children. Duke was 92 years old.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 1, 1924 to Ralph D. and Rosamond G. Powell, Duke graduated from Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, VT in 1943. He then served 3 years in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of the 121st Squadron, 106th Cavalry Group, whose units landed on Omaha and Utah beaches during the invasion of Normandy. This armored unit was also engaged in the German counter offensive known as the “Battle of the Bulge.”
Upon his discharge from the Army, he joined his high school sweetheart, Nancy, at Middlebury College. He graduated cum laude in 1948 and entered the University of Virginia Law School where he earned a J.D. degree. In 1951 he was sworn in as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and served in their offices in Baltimore, Wilmington and Newark, NJ. He later joined Fisher-Stevens, Inc., Clifton, NJ, an information services organization to the pharmaceutical and health care industries. When Fisher-Stevens was acquired by IMS, Inc., Duke was named President of Dun and Bradstreet Corporation, the parent company.
The Powells resided in Chatham, NJ, for over 30 years, where they raised three children: Ralph Duke Powell, III, Slatersville, RI, Lissa Powell Slade Belchertown MA, and Alison Eley Zuckert, Ridgefield, CT. Duke’s father had been a tennis pro, and as a result he inherited a love of sports. But most important of all to Duke were his faith and his family. He loved the Lord and his beloved Nancy, his children, his son-in-law Evan Zuckert, and his six grandchildren: Jessica, Casey, Mackenzie and Sarah Slade, and Cameron and Keleigh Zuckert.
A service of celebration was held at St. James Church, Keene, NH on Saturday, November 26th, at 11 am. Jellison Funeral Home and Cremation Services assisted the family with arrangements. To view an online obituary or to leave the family a condolence, please visit www.jellisonfuneralhome.com
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