Duane Koslowski

Written By The Koslowski Family: 

Duane Edward Koslowski (1959 – 2025) passed away suddenly on Feb. 2 ,2025, at his home in Palmyra, VA.

Many knew Duane E. Koslowski through his esteemed Collegiate and Olympic wrestling and Collegiate football careers, or perhaps as a fun coworker, and a lucky few were able to call him Dad.

To our family, our ‘Pops’ or ‘Sweetheart’ was better known as a committed father, devoted husband, Chicago Bear aficionado, and an excellent chef.

The four cubs (children) Duane and Mary Pat raised, while different, all grew up with the same consistent traditions: Having Calvin and Hobbes read to them by Duane, knowing our Savior Jesus Christ, learning to be honest and respectful to others, and perhaps unfortunately; being a fan of the Chicago Bears.

Sports has been integral to our family. Each child was involved in sports early in their life. Duane was so proud of Jason’s effort in martial arts and on the soccer field at Blaine High school. Duane always encouraged Jason and loved having a son in sports.

Christina participated in dance, from pre-school through high school. They shared a special father-daughter bond and banter. Even after three failed tryouts for the Blaine High School Dance team, Christina persevered through the setbacks and made the team. It’s a story Duane loved to recall to his friends over the years. He admired her strength, grit, and her will to go after what she wanted. He was her hero and Duane always had a twinkle in his eye or grin when she was around, even on the phone.

MacLean (Mac) grew up playing soccer, like his brother Jason. Duane started coaching teams Mac played on and loved every minute of it. Mac continued to play soccer growing up and eventually began to play football, wrestle, and be one of the founding members of Fluvanna lacrosse at Fluvanna High School.

Caden, like his brothers before him, played soccer and had the added benefit of both Duane and Mac as team coaches in his grade school years. Duane began coaching Caden’s football teams and Caden’s basketball teams from 2008-2012, achieving undefeated seasons and championships in both The Thomas Jefferson Youth Football League and Vaba, The Virginia Basketball Academy.

“I always admired Duane’s coaching” said Mary Pat, his wife of 29 years. “When he coached younger kids, he created such fun drills that the kids didn’t realize how much they were improving. They only saw it when they won their games.”

“Parents wanted their sons on Duane’s teams and many of the kids played on the same team consecutively for years while he coached. When coaching middle schoolers in both football and basketball, Duane was challenged. Coaches teach skills, discipline, playing with the right attitude, and they’re also required to give all players almost equal time on the field. Duane was competitive, he wanted to win which meant he needed to play his best players. But he didn’t choose that path. He had a soft spot for the smaller athlete, the athlete that was learning the game or maybe didn’t have the right cleats. Coach Koz still won championships or came in a close second in both football and basketball. His attitude was always calm but his drive was competitive. He worked with individual athletes that needed more coaching and he believed in them, until they believed in themselves. It was transformative, you’d see a light click on in an athlete, they’d make an amazing play, and they’d never look back. The same kids that played consecutively on Duane’s teams in grade school and middle school also played together in high school Lacrosse. They definitely had a synergy, thanks to Coach Duane, aka Coach Koz.”

Duane stuck by all his athletes – no matter the outcome. Duane knew what it meant to feel “less than” while growing up at school or, as he would say, “on the wrong side of the tracks.”

His father, Henry, and his five children, Jim, Janice, Duane, Dennis (twins) and Marlys grew up in the rural town of Doland, S.D. Their mother died when Duane was two of a brain tumor. When he was eight, it was difficult for their dad to run a dairy farm successfully and take care of the five children. Their aunts and uncles stepped in and four families provided homes for the children. Duane and Dennis stayed together with their Aunt Mary and Uncle Tony on their farm. They had chores every morning before school, no matter what season it was in South Dakota.Thanks to the love and grace from the Jim Weems family, the family was re-united in Doland when Duane and Dennis were in 8th grade. The family stayed together until all five children finished high school.

The hardship of leaving your dad, having to get up at 5 a.m. in freezing temperatures in winter to milk the cows, do chores before school at eight years old had to be tough. But the twins stuck together and since those days, Duane and Dennis talked at least 3-4 times a week and could answer each other’s sentences. The two twins have a connection, a deep attachment and love that will last eternally.

That toughness and commitment to each other paved the way for their success in every sport in which they participated. Duane and Dennis went to the University of Minnesota Morris to wrestle, thanks to coach Doug Dufty. They were recruited at other universities but they were impressed when coach Doug gave them the tour of the college, not a group of students.

“Dad often mentioned that their coaches played a huge role in their lives,” said Caden. “They became father figures to dad and Uncle Dennis, and when they connected with a coach, like Doug Dufty, their wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota Morris, they were very successful.” Duane won the NCAA Division lll heavyweight championship in 1981 and Dennis won the NCAA Division lll wrestling championship in 1980 and the NCAA Division lll heavyweight championship in 1982. Both Duane and Dennis were two sport athletes in football and wrestling. Both have been inducted in the NSIC Hall of Fame University of Minnesota Morris.

After the 1984 Olympics “As Duane described it” said Mary Pat, “They knew they could compete in Greco Roman Wrestling at the Olympic level and win.” Duane and Dennis committed to be each other’s training partner. “They’d had struggles and sacrifices before but there’s something the two shared, a ‘parallel of synergy’ that their families and fellow athletes knew would lead to their success.” Duane finished 4th in the 1986 World Championship, 6th in the 1987 World Championship and 1st in the 1987 Pan Am Games. Both Duane and Dennis made the 1988 Olympic team. Duane placed 8th after an injury in 130 kg weight class and Dennis won the bronze medal in 1988 and silver medal in the 1992 Olympics, 100 kg weight class. “Duane always mentioned that Dennis shared his medals with Duane, they both earned them together.”

Duane enjoyed a successful career for over 20 years in financial services. He worked with Mass Mutual in insurance services from 1987 - 1992 while training for the Olympics. He joined Dain Bosworth (now RBC Wealth Management) where met his wife, Mary Pat and worked from 1992 - 1996 in charge of the Insurance and Estate Planning Services Division.

“He was my sweetheart and he called me his bride for 29 years. It grabbed my heart when I’d hear him mention me and it made me so proud to be his wife,” Mary Pat said.

He worked with Merrill Lynch from 1996 to 1998, then studied and worked on the other side of insurance contracts as a wholesaler for ING from 1999 – 2001, then John Hancock from 2001 to 2004. When Christina was headed to Duane’s Alma Mater, the University of Minnesota, Duane was offered a position in Virginia by Pacific Life Insurance company as a Regional Vice President. Jason was finishing up his degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Duane was so proud that both Jason and Christina attended the University of Minnesota. The family moved to Lake Monticello in Palmyra, VA in 2005 where the family still lives.

Christina moved to Virginia in 2012 to and lived in Leesburg, VA until she moved to France in 2018. During his financial services career, he also accomplished getting Series 7 licensed, Series 65, 63 licensed and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Certification, one of the highest certifications possible in financial services. Long-time insurance colleague Al Luttman said, “Some of the Estate Planning Courses Duane took outside of any licensing were tougher than the licenses themselves. He was a very dedicated and smart consultant.”

When Duane was in his 50’s he found a real passion for cooking. Living in the South, Barbeque was his first venture. He eventually would go on to learn different cuisines and master his own special recipes, much to the family’s delight.

“Duane became so passionate about his cooking, always trying to make the recipe as authentic as possible,” said Mary Pat. “There are ingredients in our cupboards I can’t pronounce.”

Every dish he shared with friends and family always brought him compliments and invitations back to the potluck. When he met someone new at a friend’s house, when asked where he was from, Duane would grin and tell them he was from the South. Inevitably, they’d ask where in the South and he’d answer “South Dakota.”

All of Duane’s children have been inspired by their dad’s drive, how he studied topics and are all good cooks.

“Jason loved being in the kitchen with his dad when we’d visit them in Minnesota.” said Mary Pat. “He’d watch his dad carefully while cooking alongside him and laughing at his dad’s witty sense of humor.”

If Duane was over at Dennis’s house when we visited or Mary Pat came to Minnesota on her own, Jason would boast about how his Dad gave him a new knife set, new pots and pans, or a special kitchen gadget. Like his father, Jason loves sharing a meal at the table with his wife Amy, and their children.

Duane always mentioned how proud Jason made him feel seeing him as an amazing father. He didn’t take credit, but we all knew it was the greatest gift Jason could give his dad.

For all his accomplishments, Duane loved being a dad most. “My dad was an Olympic Greco Roman Wrestler, but he sloughed it off like it was no big deal,” noted Mac. “He was more concerned about teaching us the important things in life, like being respectful to others, pursuing your interests, and always finding the humor in life.”

Mac and Caden fondly remember watching Chicago Bears games growing up at restaurants or at home, “Spending time together as a family was the most important priority to dad and we all knew it. While watching games he would keep up with his fantasy football league with our cousins for years and kept in touch with them. He valued relationships, thought provoking conversations and telling the same, lovable stories that we all grew up with. He loved us all deeply.”

Honored to be a part of his life and left to cherish his memory are his wife, Mary Pat, his sons Jason Richard, MacLean Henry, Caden Dennis, his daughter in law Amy Lynn and his grandchildren Daniel Kevin, Micah Jason, Grace Lynn and Eden Joy.

Duane was preceded in death by his daughter Christina Marie, 35 years old on June 14th, 2021, in Marseille, France. It brings great comfort to the family knowing they’re together bantering and laughing while sipping a café au lait while dipping biscotti.

A memorial service will be held 11:00am at Edinbrook Church, 4300 Edinbrook Pkwy, Brooklyn Park, MN, on March 29, 2025.

A separate local service will be held at a later date.