Gordon Pierce Duncan's Obituary
Gordon Pierce Duncan was born on July 28, 1931 in Greenville, Texas, the son of Louis Ellis “Jack” Duncan and Eva Pierce Duncan. Growing up on a ranch just north of Commerce, Texas, he enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing and hunting small game with his own .22 caliber rifle. He graduated from Commerce High School at the age of 15, and went on to attend East Texas State University, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree at the age of 19. He moved to Dallas shortly afterward, but was soon drafted into the U.S. Army during the call up for the Korean War. After training and spending some time at Fort Hood, he was stationed in Germany as part of the post-World-War-II occupation forces, where he served as a court reporter and availed himself of the opportunity to tour and sightsee in Europe. He was honorably discharged after his tour of duty.
He was a lifelong Methodist, and continued to identify as such up until the very end of his life.
Gordon started working for the Atlantic Refining Company (later Atlantic-Richfield, then ARCO) right out of college, and returned to that company after his tour of duty in the Army, staying with them in accounting until he was able to take early retirement at age 55. He spent the last five and a half years of his time with ARCO living and working in California, often traveling to the North Slope of Alaska to audit ARCO’s business relationship with one of their contractors. After retiring from ARCO, he started a second career in residential real estate, working all the way until he was 80 years old.
Gordon was preceded in death by an older sister, Willie Louise Duncan Gillespie, older brother Louis Ellis Duncan, and an older sister who was killed in a tragic accident as an infant, Doris Jean Duncan. He was also preceded in death by his wife of 37 years and mother to his children, Doris Jean Boyd Duncan. He is survived by his second wife of 17 years, Joann Fry, younger brothers Gary Duncan and Daniel Duncan, and sister-in-law Janet Chapin Duncan. He leaves behind his children, Douglas Jon Duncan and his wife, Wendy, Donna Gail Simon and her husband, Butch, and Guy William Duncan and his wife, Natalie, as well as nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. He died peacefully in Mesquite, Texas, on the morning of October 3, 2022, in the company of loved ones after a steep decline in the aftermath of contracting COVID-19. His family is grateful that he was able to live independently until the age of 91 in the home he shared with Joann in Plano, Texas. They were able to travel extensively, going to Europe a number of times.
Throughout his life Gordon was an avid golfer, and even when he got too old to play himself, he continued to follow professional golf and watch it on TV. Later in life he and Joann found a passion for dancing, and enjoyed going to dances held at various senior centers in and near Plano.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for memorials to be given to the charity of your choice.
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