Retired Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Carper Paul Duffield, Jr.
Retired Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Carper Paul Duffield, Jr., 82, passed away peacefully Wednesday, August 11, 2021, in his home in Alexandria, Virginia. He was born December 5, 1938 in Pittsburgh, a son of the late Carper Paul Duffield, Sr. and Maxine Brown Duffield.
Paul was a graduate of Waynesburg Central High School, Class of 1956, in Waynesburg.
As a member of the wrestling team, he became a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League 112 pound Champion his senior year. After attending West Virginia University and graduating from Waynesburg College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology, he entered Officer Candidate School.
He was commissioned Ensign in March 1963 after which he embarked on a notable career in the United States Navy. After commissioning, he served on the USS HAWKINS (DD-873) as First Lieutenant and Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. One of the USS HAWKINS deployments was to the east Atlantic near the Canary Islands to be on the lookout for astronauts, James McDivitt and Edward H. White ll after their historic space flight.
Paul attended the U.S. Naval Destroyer School USS BORDELON (DD-881), as Weapons Officer. Both destroyers had deployments to the Western Pacific.
He held staff positions in various organizations such as the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia, the DoD Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Viginia, and Commander, Naval Forces Korea.
It was during his tour of duty at the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia, where he met his beloved wife, Betty Ann Eckard, who he married in May of 1983. They celebrated 39 years of marriage shortly before his passing and have one daughter, Crystal Dawn Duffield, to whom Paul was the proudest stay-at-home Dad. He was the biggest supporter of Crystal’s many endeavors. Whether it be driving all night to watch a field hockey match the next morning, or sweltering in the hot Virginia summers to watch her compete on her horse, he never missed a game, match, horse show or otherwise.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Paul is survived by his two younger sisters Diana Miller-Schlabach and Donna Milliken; younger brother Carl Duffield; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Paul’s life will be held at the Demaine Funeral Home, 520 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., with a memorial service starting around 4:30 p.m., on November 21, 2021.
Burial services will be at 1 p.m. on November 22, 2021, at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC.
To share fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Duffield family, visit www.DemaineFuneralHome.com. The family requests donations to ones favorite veterans charity, or Paul’s favorite, K9’s for Warriors, at www.k9sforwarriors.org