Duane Taylor Ullmann

Duane Taylor Ullmann was born on July 31, 1938, in Portland, Oregon. He spent his first four years in Redmond, Oregon, before his parents moved the family to Sisters.

As a boy, Duane helped in Cliff's Café located on Main Street. The food was good, with homemade pies by his mom, Dell. His dad, Cliff, built a large chipmunk home that Duane kept supplied with chipmunks to entertain visitors.

Duane attended all twelve years of school in Sisters. A highlight was playing baseball in the Oregon State Championship Finals in Portland. Their team came in second place, pretty good for such a small school. Duane graduated in 1956 and went on to earn a degree in Forest Engineering at Oregon State College in 1960.

Duane took a job with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. His 30‑year career took him to Venersborg, Omak, Forks, and eventually Lacey and East Olympia for the past 58 years. He supervised fire suppression crews, cruised timber, located roads, built bridges, supervised timber sales, worked on summer camp outs, and, for fun, got to work in old‑growth timber on the Olympic Peninsula.

Duane married his love, Barbara Campbell, and they shared 66 years together. Their sons, Jeff (California), Jon (Colorado), and Dave (Alaska), gave them five grandchildren and one great‑grandchild.

Duane served nearly 30 years as a volunteer firefighter in Omak, Forks, and Lacey.

He was a Command Officer for Lacey FD #3.

After retirement from DNR, Duane spent a year in Australia, working as a part‑time carpenter and enjoying all things Australian. That led to travels to New Zealand, Fiji, Great Britain, Austria, Germany, France, Jordan, and Israel.

Duane purchased land, cruised and sold the timber, chose a unique house plan, supervised construction, and enjoyed country life for 31 years in East Olympia.

He passed away in the home he built—surrounded by the land, the memories, and the family he cherished. His legacy lives on in the stories he shared, the land he protected, and the people whose lives he touched.