In Penacook, Ruth Speed digs like an archeologist, and she’s been studying her village’s past for 70 years.At 78, she’s seen a lot, like the change-over from water power to electricity, eight different grocery stores, Barney’s Flowers, holiday parades.
He was the Duke of Penacook sports for 50 years
Cassidy Huckins (left) and Carly Huckins with Bill “Duke” Duquette, who lived on the Huckins’ property for several years. Courtesy
Published: 12/12/2020 5:47:46 PM
Soon after word spread that a Penacook man named Duke had died, some of the legendary sports names from Merrimack Valley High School’s rich past – coaches, players, even a team manager – gathered on Google Meet.
They wanted to remember Duke, the superfan whose real name was Bill Duquette. He died earlier this month from COVID at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton, where a total of 28 residents had died as of Thursday. Duke was diagnosed two days after Thanksgiving and died earlier this month.