Ronald William Djuren

Ronald William Djuren, age 76, of Durham, NC, passed away on September 24, 2026, in Atlanta, GA, after a lengthy illness.

Ron was born in Dover, New Jersey, on October 22, 1949, to Dorothy (Gathman) and August Djuren. He graduated from Manchester Regional High School in NJ and studied architecture at Clemson University. He worked for design firms in Minnesota and South Carolina before settling in Durham, NC. There, he worked for Duke University for nearly 30 years, helping to manage many of the university’s major projects, including facilities for the Fuqua College of Business, the David M. Rubenstein Library, the Nasher Museum of Art, and the Duke campus in Kunshan, China.

Throughout his life, Ron maintained an avid interest in the visual arts. He traveled extensively to galleries and museums, visited artists in their studios, and amassed a collection of books on art, poetry, and civil rights. Eccentric, fun-loving, hard-working, and adventurous, Ron possessed the passion and curiosity to seek out art, literature, and fine dining experiences in places both famous and obscure. He was a fierce supporter of the people and ideas he loved.

In 2020, Ron was diagnosed with logopenic primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of dementia. Throughout his illness, he received love and support from long-time partner Kimberly Stanley; special attention from his devoted caregivers, Starrie Holmes and Alicia Key; and unwavering kindness from special friends Janet and Mark Bailey, Glenn Moore, and Steve Russell.

Ron was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy and August Djuren, and his late wife, Barbara Wennersten. He is survived by his partner, Kimberly Stanley of Atlanta, GA; his stepson, Thomas Plavier of Richmond, VA; his brother, Robert Djuren (and wife Teresa) of Seattle, WA; his loving cousins (the Gathman family) and many others. Services will be private.

In remembrance, and in lieu of flowers, those who wish may make a donation to:

• The Southern Poverty Law Center or The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.