Chris Ducey

AKA “The Rock”

By Jesse Love

I’ve known Chris Ducey for over 20 years and quickly came to realize that he is an extraordinary individual embodying all the highest ideals that most of us strive to obtain.  Although I’ve never heard him called “The Rock”, I’m sure most people who have experienced his unflinching loyalty, unwavering dependability and conscientious service to others would agree that it is an apt moniker.

Chris can you tell us a little about your early years?  Where were you born, where did you grow up and what impressions do you still retain from your youth?

I was born in Fresno, California but we moved to a 1000 acre ranch near Redlands, California when I was 4 years old.  I lived there with my Mom & Dad, brother and two sisters until I left home at 19 to join the Navy.  I have great memories of living and working on the ranch and feel fortunate to have had that great spread to romp and roam.

How long were you in the Navy and what did you do?

I was an Engineering Laboratory Technician on a Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine for 6 years, including the time I spent in school to learn my rating. 

Any special memories or experiences in the Navy?

Living in such a confined space for extended periods certainly teaches you something about how to get along with others, how to consider their needs and to realize that there is an interconnectivity among people and what affects one can ultimately affect all.  I also had the opportunity to read a lot of books and even though most were fiction, they expanded my horizons.

Where did your path take you during the decade or so after you got out of the Navy?

I went to work for Battelle Laboratories in the Tri-cities area of Washington State in the same field as my Navy training. I was there a couple of years, then started working for Exxon Nuclear.  They manufactured fuel cells for reactor plants and I continued to work in my field, with the title of Health Physics Technician.

Any thoughts on the Nuclear industry?

I know it is a maligned industry, but having worked in it from the inside I think it is much more environmentally friendly then is generally considered and if people would take away the rhetoric and pat positions against it and look at it objectively, they might find it can be a clean, safe, inexpensive and dependable source for energy.  Countries such as France have already discovered this and now generate over 50% of their electricity from nuclear power.  I think everyone would agree that France and the other countries of Western Europe are generally much more environmentally conscious that the US.  Even the old headline making disasters like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl were not caused by inadequacies in the reactor but from problems in the auxiliary equipment.  And there are many spin-off technologies that also benefit the environment.  Much of the time I worked in the civilian side of the industry I was helping to develop a process called Waste Vitrofication that can turn all types of pollution-causing waste into glass for safe, long-term storage.

What about the problem of nuclear waste?

Certainly that is something that needs more action.  It must be disposed of in ways that ensures total safety for hundreds of years.  The Vitrofication process is one possible solution.  Right now the two biggest challenges with nuclear waste are where to put it and how to insure that it will not leak radioactivity into the surrounding ground or air at any time in the future.  Vitrofying the nuclear waste into a block of glass ensures that no matter how or where it is stored, leakage will never be a problem.  Knowing that potential leakage is nullified makes the long-term storage less of a challenge.

You didn’t stay in the nuclear industry. What made you change your course?

I now had two sons and as I considered the needs of my family I decided to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.  I saw it as a valuable foundation that could open many more doors for me and had what I perceived to be a great potential for my financial future.

So, you were 28, married with two kids and zero college experience.  How were you able to take 4 years out of your life to afford to go to college and where did you go?

I attended the University of Washington in Seattle but I crammed my 4 years into 2 ½ years by taking 19 credits per quarter.  Fortunately, I had the GI bill to help with my tuition. Plus, I worked about 20 hours per week as a General Maintenance person in the apartment complex where we lived in Bellevue and my wife also worked.  It was a tight time but we made it.

What did you do after you graduated, why did you do it and what are some of your thoughts about your first job in the business world?

I went to work in the Management Candidate Program for Paccar in Renton, Washington.  My job required me to travel to other Paccar locations, in Tennessee, Ohio and California.  It was a well-rounded management program but the economy took a downturn and after 5 years I was shocked to get a lay-off notice.  That was one of the lowest points in my life, one of the worst things I’ve ever gone through.  I thought I had a path to a secure future in a 3-piece suit and was dumbfounded to have the rug pulled out from under me.  I am a naturally optimistic person but after months of looking for another job and being told I was over qualified for entry level jobs and under qualified for the higher paying jobs I desired, I was getting a little discouraged.

Any big insights from this low period in your life?

I discovered that after 2 ½ years of grinding out school and 5 years of working as an up and coming business executive, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do with my life.  I didn’t know what was, but after applying for many, many jobs, I realized none of them were of interest to me and even if hired I would just be doing it for the money.  Up to that point I had been caught up in the rat race of life.  I knew I still needed to make money to provide for my family but I also now understood that I had to begin searching for a field or endeavor that truly fulfilled me.

 What was next?

I went to work for a friend who owned a fried chicken business.  He leased the cookers and sold the ingredients to many of the convenience stores in the area and I was responsible for installing and maintaining the cookers and delivering the ingredients.  It was a fun job because I worked completely independently, which really appealed to me but I just couldn’t make enough money to make ends meet despite putting in long hours every week and it didn’t bring the fulfillment I was now searching for.   After 2 years I had to quit.  I took a higher paying job installing elevators and stair lifts but after a year of dealing with an overbearing and over-demanding boss, I quit that job and went back to work for the chicken outfit with a better pay arrangement but still a restless lack of fulfillment inside me. 

Did you ever find the fulfillment you were seeking, and if you did, how?

Yes, thank goodness I did and it came about indirectly because of my involvement in the chicken business and was somewhat of an unexpected surprise.  Because of my increased pay in the chicken business my wife and I were able to buy our first house in Issaquah, Washington in a new area they were developing up on the plateau called Khahanie.  There was also a new fire station to serve the new neighborhoods and when they put a sign out seeking volunteer fire fighters I responded, thinking it would be a fun thing to do that would teach me some new skills and be of service to my community at the same time.  I was actually surprised when I later learned that they would be paying me $4.50 per hour.  I would have been happy to do it for free.  During the next year, I worked about 20 hours per week as a volunteer fire fighter and took classes which they provided for free to get certified through the Fire Fighter Academy as well as increased my first aid knowledge with certification as a First Responder and an EMT.

You eventually became a full-time fire fighter.  How did that occur and as this is what you are still doing today, should I assume that you have found your fulfillment?

Yes, I have certainly been fulfilled in the 14 years I have worked for the fire department.  I think there are still more things for me to do in the world that will bring new fulfillments but I have certainly had my share as a firefighter.  It was quite a gauntlet to become one.  After about a year as a volunteer they had 4 openings for permanent positions.  Along with 400 other people I took the long written test and was happy to make the cut to the top 60.  Each of us were required to take a physical agility test and the combined written and physical scores pruned us down to 30.  We then had individual oral interviews and the top 10 then had to take a full physical and psychiatric evaluation.  Those 10 were interviewed by the chief.  The whole process took about 2 months and in the end I was lucky enough to be one of the 4 chosen.

You were just promoted to Captain.  Fourteen years seems to be quite a fast track to obtain such a high position.  How did you manage it?

It was faster than is normal but once I became a fire fighter and realized it was something I loved to do, I applied myself with gusto to my job.  I look forward to every new area I can be trained in and have to credit some of my success to the fact that I had all of the education and certification requirements under my belt as I tested for Lieutenant and later Captain.

What are some of the memorable moments in your life and why?

Raising 4 kids with my wonderful wife has been a choice experience.  Being able to share their hopes, tragedies and triumphs and to have the honor to have a part in shaping who they become is a joy beyond measure.

What events, people or experiences have helped form you into the man you are today?

My Dad was a big influence in my formative years.  He taught me a strong work ethic and other good character traits.  Another would be the life example of a couple of very close friends, brothers really in everything except blood.  I have many acquaintances but good friends are number by a few fingers on one hand.  We have a brotherly love forged by deep shared experiences.  I would willingly give my life for either one of my brothers in spirit.  Their friendship transcends distance and time.  Their examples and the experiences I have lived, have taught me that my life is not measured by what I have accomplished or in the material things I have amassed, but in the quality of relationships I have developed with my sweet wife, wonderful children and the dear friends with whom I realize I have forged life-long unbreakable bonds.

You and your wife Darlene seem to stay close despite the many challenges of life that you have had to endure.  In your opinion, what is the recipe for a good, lasting marriage?

Don’t take each other for granted, never, ever.  And marry the right partner.  I used to think you really had to work hard to make a marriage work.  With Darlene, I discovered if you start with someone that is easy-going and compatible, your best friend, with similar goals and a reciprocal desire to put their partner first, then marriage isn’t as difficult as I had assumed.  Certainly there are challenges but with that kind of foundation they are always overcome and you continue to grow and expand together.

You also have 4 great kids.  What’s your recipe for being a good father?

Being a father entails a lot of on-the-job training.  I was a better father later on than earlier.  One of the keys, especially when the children are little, is to realize that they are children and you cannot expect them to think like, act like or speak like adults or have adult priorities.  Be fair and consistent and don’t take anything personal.  It is also very important to be involved in their lives.  As I reflect back, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling remembering all the quality time I spent with my kids as they were growing up.  It was a great time for all of us and a lot of fun.

Any parting thoughts or comments?

One of the keys of my life has been the understanding not to waste time worrying about things I can’t change, especially little irritants that are really inconsequential in the big picture.  Life is just too short and instead should be invested in things that have personal, life-long significance, like quality, supportive loving relationships.   Another key for me has been to see the ripple effect that comes from my actions.  Good or bad the things you do and the choices you make matter.  They cause repercussions that ripple out and create subsequent and connected consequences.  So I look to do good, realizing a small act of kindness today, multiplies and creates a greater energy.

*If you know someone (or are someone) that would be a good subject for a Living Inspirations interview please contact editor@celestopea.com