Donald "Duck" Monette, age 81, of Mandan, ND passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Good Samaritan Society, Mandan, ND.

Donald Joseph "Ducky" Monette was born in Warm Springs, Oregon, on July 4, 1944, the second oldest of Fritz and Annie's eight kids, while his father was working as head dairyman for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.  His parents were Fred "Fritz" Martin Monette and Anne Marie "Tete de ra" (Davis) Monette.  His grandparents were Joe and Caroline (Gladue) Monette and Collin Frank and Mary Therese (Parisien) Davis.  He was baptized in Warm Springs.

Ducky attended school at St. Ann's Mission in Belcourt until the third grade.  The family moved west again, landing in Noti, Oregon, staying with Davis relatives.  Ducky got sick soon after and was in and out of hospitals along the coast of Oregon and Washington for several years.  He became confined to a wheelchair at the age of 8 but lived a fully independent and adventurous life until very recently.  He attended school while hospitalized, never missing a grade.  After moving to Seattle to follow his health care, he went back to public school for junior high and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1962.

After graduation, Ducky moved back to Belcourt and lived with his grandparents, Joe and Caroline Monette, and worked at the Belcourt High School as a clerk before going to college.

Ducky attended Lake Region College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1971.  He earned a bachelor's degree at UND in Social Work in 1973.  He attended graduate school in Monmouth, Oregon, and at the University of Minnesota, both Minneapolis and Morris campuses.

Ducky played wheelchair basketball for the Seattle Flyers and Grand Forks Wallbangers. He was a singer, a guitar player, and a harmonica player.  He was also a traveler, an avid reader, and a student of history, especially our tribal history.  He was a philosopher and one of his favorite quotes was "You can't win the game if you don't get into it."

Ducky is survived by brothers, Gerald "Carty" Monette (Loretta DeLong), Richard Monette (Brenda Sorenson), and Leonard Hosie (Adaline); sisters, Jerilyn DeCoteau (Tod Smith), Linda Peltier (Pat), and Cleo Monette; sister-in-law, Mary Peske Monette (Carl's wife); as well as many nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.

Ducky was also very close to Lloyd "Shorty" Jeanotte (Dunseith) and Mike Meier (Portland, Oregon). He was predeceased by his grandparents, his mother, father, brothers, Carl Roy and Fred Collin "Pops" Monette, nephew Fredric "Scott" Monette and great nephew Kyle Monette.  Duck will be greatly missed and remembered by all.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Comfort, who provided care to Ducky in his home the past few years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Belcourt, ND with visitation beginning at 8:00 AM and Rosary Service at 9:00 AM prior to the funeral mass.  Father Michael Slovak presiding.  Burial will take place at St. Ann's Catholic Cemetery, Belcourt, ND in the spring.

Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND.