Duane Catherine (Dorsey) Landers passed away peacefully on February 19 at the age of 86. Born in Tampa in 1939 when Florida was still Old Florida, she attended Gordon Keller School of Nursing on Davis Island for four years, then worked at Tampa General Hospital as an RN. Brain and heart surgeries fascinated her and convinced her that humans had a brilliant designer. She studied the Bible and was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1967. For nearly 60 years, she joyfully devoted herself to serving God and helping others come to know him.
Duane was a devoted wife and mother: She and her husband, Fred, were true Florida Crackers who built a small lakeside horse-farm for their two children in Riverview and later, a 10-acre “ranch” further south where they raised cattle. For 35 years Duane worked at the Riverview Post Office and loved to fish, rustle cows, catch scallops, pick black-eyed peas, and fry frog legs after family “frogging trips" -- she was up for pretty much anything. A caregiver to the core, she made others feel safe and understood. She always had time to listen, always found a way out for you, always believed in you even when you didn’t believe in yourself. She possessed a warm forgiveness, a voice of calm in the chaos (there was plenty), a silent grace and humility, a steady presence that was an anchor for so many people she loved over the years.
Duane would definitely deny she was any of the above and if you kept on about it, would convince you that any goodness came from her God, Jehovah, and study of His word. In her 20s, she laid the groundwork for lifelong daily study, focusing on deep Bible truths that made Jehovah’s ways come alive. She loved attending Bible-based meetings at the Kingdom Hall – the home of her heart where she forged unbreakable bonds with spiritual brothers and sisters. She found great joy in the Christian ministry, retiring early from the post office so she could devote more time sharing the Bible’s paradise hope with others. Simultaneously, she oversaw all sick family - - aunts, uncles, grandparents - - as they travelled the last difficult stages of life. She held their hands in hospice, setting an example for her children to show the same care.
Duane is survived by a daughter, Catherine Stacy O’Neal, son Fred “Park" Landers III, and a spiritual daughter, Sherry Nelson Robbins. She is also survived by a half-sister, Cassie (Mike) Gilmer, of Opp, Alabama. She is preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Fred Park Landers Jr., and two half-brothers, David Dorsey and Art Dorsey, of Opp, Alabama. The family especially thanks Ford and Sherry Robbins and their family for their unbounding care and assistance of Duane the past five years.
