Matthew Webb Duthie

Former Durango resident Matthew Webb Duthie died of rare and aggressive signet-ring-cell stomach cancer in Denver on Friday, June 19, 2009. He was 51.

Mr. Duthie was born to Robert C. and Mary E. Duthie at the old Mercy Hospital in Durango on Feb. 27, 1957, the fourth of five siblings.

Growing up, he was active in skiing, fishing and Old Timers Baseball. He enjoyed playing the guitar. After injuring his pitching arm, he turned to golf, which became a lifelong passion. He played for four years on the Durango High School varsity golf team and earned an athletic golf scholarship to Cochise College in Douglas, Ariz. Mr. Duthie graduated from Durango High School in the Class of 1976.

During his life, Mr. Duthie scored four holes-in-one, including the first ace ever recorded at the current location of the Hillcrest Golf Club.

After transferring to Western State College in Gunnison, Mr. Duthie graduated with degrees in economics and business in 1980.

He moved to Denver and earned a Colorado Real Estate Broker License. He was a successful Realtor in the Denver-metro area.

For the last decade of his life, Mr. Duthie was active in the church and often professed his born-again return to Christianity. He listed the Bible as his favorite book and was an active prayer-meeting leader several times a week. He once wrote, "Anyone who knows me knows that I love Jesus more than anything on this Earth. He has shown me, by my life's work, that there are no other gods before Him. It is a privilege to serve in His Kingdom."

Mr. Duthie is survived by his wife of 13 years, Sueyuna Duthie, of Aurora; daughters Sophia Elizabeth Duthie, Hannah Marie Duthie and Christianna Rose Duthie, all of Aurora; brothers Bobby and Chris Duthie of Durango; and sisters Gigi Duthie of Durango and Toni Savastano of Wichita, Kan.

Cremation has occurred. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25, 2009, at the Orchard Road Christian Center in Greenwood Village.