Duaine Daniel Smith, "Smitty," passed away peacefully at Wellstar Hospice Care in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 1, 2026, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease.
He was born Dec. 10, 1954, in Lincoln, to Leonard Leroy and Julian (DeBaere) Smith. He graduated from Crete High School in 1973 and the University of Nebraska in 1977, passing all six parts of the CPA exam before he finished college. He spent 34 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, retiring as a Partner in 2011 after leading the firm's Long Island office and its Sarbanes-Oxley practice in China. He later served as Chief Audit Executive for iHeartMedia in San Antonio, Texas, before retiring fully in 2023 and moving to Atlanta.
On Aug. 24, 1985, Duaine married JoAnn Vecchiarelli, and together they shared nearly 40 years of marriage. He was a lifelong learner who read a book a week, loved history, traveled to more than 60 countries, and stayed a devoted Nebraska football fan through it all. Beneath a serious exterior was a dry wit and a heart of gold, especially for his family and his dogs.
He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn; his parents; his brother, Leroy Smith; and his daughter, Katherine Elizabeth Smith.
Duaine is survived by his son, Jonathan (Olivia) Smith; grandson, Teddy Smith; siblings, Pauline (Alan) Schmidt, Edward (De) Smith, Darlene (Blaine) Smith, Lisa (Steve) Chelton, and Bill Smith; and a large, loving extended family of more than 50 nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Duaine will be interred alongside his wife, JoAnn, at Memorial Park Cemetery in Hutchinson, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Duaine’s name can be directed to Pace Academy, Atlanta, Georgia, at https://www.paceacademy.org/support/make-a-gift or in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main Street, Hutchinson, KS 67501.
