A funeral service for public relations icon, Ofield Dukes, will be held at 11 a.m., Wednes., Dec. 14 at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Detroit.
A spokeswoman for the James H. Cole Home for Funerals in Detroit, added that prior to the service a wake will be held at 10 a.m.
Dukes, 79, founder of the prominent Ofield Dukes & Associates based in Southwest Washington, D.C., died Dec. 7 in a Detroit hospital. Having retired earlier this year to his hometown, Dukes succumbed to a form of bone cancer, according to his sister, Betty Hayden.
Dukes, who taught for years at Howard University, also founded the D.C. Chapter of the Black Public Relations Society. He had also worked in President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration and, dating back to 1968, consulted on several Democratic presidential campaigns.
After launching Ofield Dukes & Associates in 1969 with Motown as his first client, Dukes went on to develop a roster of other clients that include the likes of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, U. S. Rep. Charles Rangel and the late Alex Haley.
He also used his extensive public relations expertise and savvy to organize the first Congressional Black Caucus dinner in 1972; and was among the first African Americans to sit as a member on the Democratic National Committee's finance committee.
In addition to Hayden, Dukes is survived by his daughter, Roxi Victorian, son-in-law, Michael B. Victorian, grandson, Michael Dukes Victorian, and sisters, Lou Brock and Anne Harris.
Expressions of condolence to the Dukes family may be sent to 16140 LaSalle Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48221.