In a setting of constant change, one smiling face shined when greeting athletes, athletic directors, coaches and parents at Durango High School the last 14 years. It belonged to Deawne Maddox.
Maddox, the longtime Administrative Assistant for Athletics and Activities at Durango High School, said goodbye Tuesday to the students and school she has dedicated countless hours to. But the woman from Fulton, Missouri, won’t ever be forgotten by her colleagues or student-athletes she tirelessly worked with.
And she won’t forget them.
“I will be a Durango Demon fan forever,” she said Monday while training her replacement, Ann Duft.
Though she never coached or played at Durango High School, Maddox was as much a part of the sports scene as anyone. She worked with five different athletic directors and countless coaches and student-athletes during her 14 years, and all took notice of how much she cared about them.
“I think Deawne, for all her years here, definitely was the glue that kept this department together,” said current DHS athletic director David Preszler. “Not only does she have unbelievable institutional knowledge but also unbelievable heart for the kids. She’s the real deal and a very special person.”
Former DHS athletic director Sheldon Keresey said he wouldn’t have been able to do the job for seven years if it wasn’t for Maddox’s support.
“She had so much knowledge of the school, the district, the league, the state; she taught me the job,” he said. “In terms of being valuable, she was invaluable.
“Her attention to detail is incredible. She always does everything absolutely correctly. But the most defining thing, for me, is how much she cared about the kids, coaches, sponsors, everyone. Because of that, she did her job at a level I’ve never seen anybody do it.”
Working with everyone involved with athletics at the school was as much of a pleasure for Maddox as it was for everyone around her. She said it was easy to show up to work every day.
“It has brought incredible fulfillment and joy. It’s been an amazing ride,” she said. “I say I get to work with the best of the best. They’re all motivated and love what they’re doing. It’s been amazing to watch the athletes grow and mature and shine from their freshman to senior years.”
It wasn’t just sports, either. Maddox was involved in all of the school’s activities, from band, student council, theatre and the countless other after-school programs.
Maddox was a master of logistics and making sure matters were tended to the proper way, but she could’ve doubled as a school counselor for many of the athletes and coaches.
“I called her ‘Prime Time Neon Deawne,’ because she was everywhere, just like Deion Sanders,” longtime coach and teacher Steve Thyfault said. “She had a way of calming you as a coach. We often get flustered with all kinds of stuff with administrative decisions, protocol and everything. She had a way of calming you down and helping you get through problems.
“It seemed like she was never tired. When everyone else was tired, she acted like she never was, even though she had to be. She worked hours and hours and hours, and I’d always see her car in the parking lot on Sundays. The school district got their money’s worth with ‘Prime Time Neon Deawne.’”
Maddox couldn’t pinpoint her favorite memory from her time at DHS. Instead, she said the biggest thrill was watching some of her former athletes grow up and return to the school as coaches.
One of those athletes turned coach was Colleen Keresey, Sheldon’s daughter who has returned to the school as the varsity volleyball coach.
“As a student-athlete at DHS and now as a coach, Deawne was so warm and giving and so easy to work with,” Colleen Keresey said. “It was clear how much she cared about the students and staff.”
Maddox’s husband, Mark, also has been a big part of athletics in Durango. He was a football referee for 14 years and also served as an umpire. When a team desperately needed someone to help keep a score book at a basketball game or track and field event, he was the first to volunteer.
“His support has been wonderful because he loves watching high school sports as much as I do,” Deawne said. “His support allowed me to do what I’ve been able to do for 14 years.”
Mark has worked for Frito-Lay for 30 years, and the couple will move to Colorado Springs next week, where he will finish out his career before retiring. They are moving to the Front Range to be closer to their children Jonathan and Shaun, who both came up through Durango High School.
Jonathan didn’t play sports, instead dedicating his time to skiing. He has worked as a lift mechanic at Beaver Creek for eight years. Shaun ran track and cross country at DHS and was on the first boys lacrosse team his senior season, back when lacrosse was still a club sport. Shaun has followed in Mark’s footsteps and is a district manager at Frito-Lay in the Littleton area.
Though the Maddox’s are moving to Colorado Springs to be closer to their own kids, Deawne knows it doesn’t mean she won’t get to see her second family on the playing fields.
“I wish everyone the best, and I’ll miss everyone very much,” Deawne said. “Fortunately, the Demons go to Colorado Springs a lot, and I already have schedules figured out. I get to watch football three times in Colorado Springs this year, state cross country and then volleyball when they go to Parker. I’ll never stop rooting for Durango.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
