Duke Callahan Obituary

Wayne, known as Duke since the 1980s, V. Callahan, of Challis, Idaho, travelled the high trail January 3, 2025. He was one of five children born to Lauvell and Bessie Callahan in 1951, living a difficult youth in Oregon and California.
In 1968 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, turning 17 in boot camp. He served two tours in Vietnam and at 19, the youngest Sergeant in the Corps at the time, was an Amtrac platoon leader. He earned medals, but also came home to an ungrateful and angry nation. He left the Marine Corps as Staff Sergeant and entered government service with the Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Patrol, some 10 years later, in 1978. He said he was in the Marine Corps on Friday and U.S. Customs on Monday.
In 1971 he married Martha Hilvers and to that union three fine sons were born. They divorced, however, in 1983.
His initial Customs station was Nogales, Arizona. Sent to Lukeville, Arizona, located inside Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, he rode the Monument horseback for two years, then back to Nogales. It was dangerous times for him and the family.
He married Susan Afinowich in 1985 on a ranch in the San Rafael Valley, near Patagonia, Az., in a ceremony that can only be called original. They then began a series of station moves for the government. In '85 they moved to Tucson where he became a Special Agent, then in '87 a move to Great Falls, Montana where he traversed the "high line" of Montana, primarily working Exodus (U.S. secrets leaving the states), Racketeering cases, and as liaison to Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the next 10 years. During his Montana tenure because he was 6'4" and an expert marksman, he was tapped by the Secret Service for presidential protection details. He guarded candidates George H.W. Bush, Clinton, Gore, Quale and families in 1992, travelling widely to campaign sites. There were also many specialized undercover operations in those years.
The final government move was in 1997, transferring to Deming, New Mexico, working interdiction cases. He retired there in 2001 after 33 years of government service, and in 2004 they moved to Challis, a town he had come to admire during Montana years where he and a group of friends annually motorcycled "The Butte to Somewhere in Idaho Bar Tour".
Duke always marched to his own drummer. He had a huge zest for life, an even bigger grin, was incredibly smart, well read – Robert Service a favorite, excellent chess player, loved hunting and fishing and classic cars, all motorcycles, hard to beat at cards, played infinite jokes on Susan, and full of true Irish blarney. He was a consummate woodworker. His portfolio of exceptional, inlaid furniture is something to behold. He casts a huge shadow and the void is immense.
He is survived by his partner and wife of 42 years, Susan: sons Bruce and his sons Nathaniel and Ezekiel; Ryan (Shellie), children Finleigh and Lucas; Tim (Jen) children Lindsey (Brandon) Ciucci, Emily, Nora, and Sean; stepdaughters Amber Sapp (Lance), their daughters Lillian and Madison; Robin Afinowich (David Renshaw) and sons Gage and Noah Dailey; brother Michael (Shirley), sisters Louise and Doris, and families; brother-in-law Nick (Deb) Leonard and family; and among a long list of very dear friends everywhere, special friend and "brother" Charlie (Rita) Moulton.
His parents and brother Jamie preceded him in death.
He had a love of animals and especially dogs, dubbing the house "The Callahan Puppy Farm". His latest was Magpie, an early Christmas present he couldn't enjoy long.
A Celebration of Life will be held this summer when family and friends can be gathered.
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