Duquesne City School District dedicated its school’s gymnasium Wednesday to the late DeWayne Tucker, a longtime school board and community member.
A retired City of Duquesne police officer, Tucker served on the city’s school board for nearly four decades, many of them as its president. He was a 1959 graduate of Duquesne High School.
Tucker died April 14 at the age of 86.
“For 39 years, Mr. Tucker dedicated himself to this school district, to this city and, most importantly, to the students who walk these halls each day,” said Superintendent Sue Mariani. “His commitment was not simply measured in years, but in the countless decisions he made with students at the center, the unwavering support he provided to staff and the deep pride he carried for this community.”
Duquesne City operates one school building, a K-8 school at 300 Kennedy Ave. Students in the district may attend high school in either West Mifflin or the East Allegheny school district.
Tucker sponsored an athletic and academic excellence award, given to a student-athlete who embodies excellence in their sport and in the classroom.
“For our students, when you walk into this gymnasium, know that you are stepping into a space named after someone who believed in you — someone who believed in your potential, your future and your ability to achieve great things,” Mariani said. “For our staff, may this serve as a continued call to the purpose that drives our work each day.
“And to Mr. Tucker’s family, please know that his legacy lives on not only in this space, but in every student who is given an opportunity, in every success that unfolds and in every life that is positively impacted because of his vision and dedication.”