James A. "Duke" Horshock

James A. “Duke” Horshock, 80, of Elverson, but who was born and raised in Coatesville, died on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at Penn Medicine Hospice Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

He was born on September 15, 1939, the son of the late John E. and Mary (Murani) Horshock and was educated in Coatesville schools, including St. Cecilia’s elementary where he was an altar boy, Gordon Junior High, and S. Horace Scott High School, more commonly and warmly known as Coatesville High School, class of 1957.

He matriculated at then-called LaSalle College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management, class of 1961. While there, he lettered in varsity baseball as a catcher, as he had in high school. He was president of the Sophomore Class, member of Student Council, member of the Student-Faculty Board, president of the Residence Halls Council, vice president of the Varsity Club, and a fraternity brother of Phi Sigma Upsilon. He was selected for and appeared in the 1959-60 and 1960-61 editions of “Who’s Who in American College and Universities.” He earned his Master’s degree in Journalism from Temple University in 1975.

Despite the availability of a critical skill deferment due to his position of staff assistance at Lukens Steel Company, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in December 1962. 

After three years of duty with the 465th Bomb Wing (SAC) at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, he was assigned Information Officer for the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia. He reported directly to the wing commander, legendary WWII quadruple fighter pilot ace, Robin Olds. 

In 1966, he was awarded his first Air Force Commendation Medal for voluntarily flying in flare-dropping missions over Laos and North Vietnam to light up targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He accumulated 64.5 air combat hours.

He wrote articles about missions and profiles of crew members that were released through the “5 O’Clock Follies” (daily press conferences) in Saigon and directly to hometown newspapers. He was also cited for accompanying Air Force medical teams to remote villages for rural community health projects.

During five years of active duty and seventeen years Air National Guard duty, he was a recipient of four Air Force Commendation Medals and several Vietnam war-related medals and ribbons. He retired with the rank of Major.

Having been a reporter and columnist for several newspapers, he was approached by the Thornburgh Administration in 1984 and subsequently appointed press secretary to the PA Department of Labor & Industry. Later, he filled the post of Director of Communications for the PA Treasury Department. He was standing next to the state treasurer who pulled out a .357 magnum and committed suicide during a press conference in Harrisburg.

Two notable positions he held were as Press Secretary for the Senate President Pro Tempore and Executive Director of the Senate Democratic Information and Research Office for eight years. As such, he oversaw a staff of more than twenty skilled practitioners responsible for speech writing, press releases, media liaison, research for pending legislation, and analysis of bills passed into law. He retired from state government in 2001-2002.

He had ample time to reminisce about family and sports. He fondly remembered his mother filling a paper bag with Lebanon bologna sandwiches for him and his dad to enjoy in the left field bleachers at Shibe Park. They saw many double-headers played by the Phillies and the Athletics.     

Never a “star,” Duke nonetheless reveled in a few isolated memories such as throwing out two base runners attempting to steal second in the same inning of a high school game. From the inaugural season of little league baseball in Coatesville, through the city playground leagues, high school ball, college ball, and the adult City Twilight League, he hit only one home run in the approximately 15 year span; trotting around second base, he was distracted by a cacophony of shrieking and relentless horn-blowing coming from Kersey Street behind the left centerfield fence of Central Park in Coatesville. Lo & behold, it was his brother and two nieces who were applauding the round-tripper. It was the only twilight league game the girls had ever seen and he often mused whether “The Great Umpire in the Sky” orchestrated that serendipitous moment.

One of his fondest sports memories was having finished the Penn Relays Marathon at age 40 in 4 hours and 10 minutes which he dedicated to his mother Mary.

He played golf for nearly 60 years and considered himself a “decent” player. Not great or even very good, mind you, but decent enough to score in the low to middle 80s with periodic rounds in the 70s.

But as much as Duke loved sports, he enjoyed music and dancing even more. He was not inclined towards any type of technology, but the one exception to his neanderthal tech ways was the ownership of an iPod and upgraded earphones. He enjoyed all genres of music, but was an aficionado of big bands and jazz vocalists of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. He could relate minute details of having seen in-person Anita O'Day, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra (nine times), Ella Fitzgerald, and literally dozens of other headliners. His one regret was never having seen Cyrille Aimée perform; a contemporary jazz guitarist and, in his opinion, the greatest female scat singer ever. He loved “swing dancing,” what older folks called jitterbugging. And in his later years, he became overwhelmingly enamored with salsa and other Latin dances.

He is survived by his loyal companion of 15 years especially toward the end, Shirley (Molnar) Colyer; cherished daughter Christine Navoy, the beacon of his life, and world-class son-in-law, Ian; grandson Christopher Taylor; two nieces, Linda Maurer and husband Dennis, and Susan Lindsay and husband Charlie; two grand-nieces Lori Vassil and husband George, and Lisa Konchel and husband Matthew; three great-grand nephews, Shaun and Peter Vassil and Brandon Konchel; a great grand-niece Kaitlyn Konchel; and former spouse and mother of his children, Chizuko Delit.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a son, John Christopher; a sister, Jeanne; two brothers, including John Thomas, who was lost at sea during the battle of Savo Bay off of Guadalcanal in 1942, and Edward, Coatesville Sports Hall of Fame enshrinee; and two wives, Evangeline “Lina” Lopez and his beloved sweetheart, Shirley Ann (Lively) Horshock.

A life celebration service for the public will be scheduled once the current health care crisis subsides.

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