William Bryan Duncan Jr.

William Bryan Duncan Jr.

1937-2022

William Bryan Duncan Jr. was born at 3:06 p.m., Dec. 11, 1937, in Harrisburg, Penn., at the Polyclinic Hospital.

William “Bill” passed peacefully to his Lord and Savior early Saturday morning on June 4, 2022.

Bill’s father, William Bryan Duncan Sr., passed away in 2008, and his mother, Ida Christana Duncan (Schell), passed away 2008.

Bill’s dad was in the U.S. Army, and his mother had a beauty shop in Camp Hill, Penn.

Bill lived in Camp Hill, Harrisburg and Pittsburg, and a lot of other places, Kansas City, Missouri, Yuma, Ariz., and Seattle, Wash.

Bill’s sister was born Oct. 25, 1942. Kathleen Marie Duncan lives in Albuquerque.

Bill attended grade schools in Harrisburg. He attended seventh grade in Seattle, then his dad was transferred in 1952 for three years to Yokohama, Japan, where his dad worked at the Blue Seal milk plant. So, Bill got to sample fresh made ice cream. Bill learned to play trombone. He attended the rest of junior high there.

He came back to Harrisburg, and went to John Harris High School and became a member of the marching band. Bill’s first job was with a neighborhood dry cleaner at 50 cents an hour.

When William Sr. was transferred to Albuquerque, Bill went to Highland High School. He became a member of the marching band, concert band, orchestra and pep band. He played first chair trombone even though he could not read music.

This is where Bill met Ronda. She played first chair saxophone. Bill sat right behind her. They got married on April 4, 1955, at Hoffmantown Baptist Church.

Bill joined the U.S. Navy (Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club) in July 1955. His first cruise was around the world. Next was one trip to Cuba during the missile crisis, and then five trips to the Tokin Gulf Yacht Club.

Bill and Ronda were members of Casa de Oro Baptist Church, where Bill was involved with the church’s sound system in 1974.

Bill and Ronda had five boys, Douglas, Bryan, Hugh, Lyle and Russell. Son Lyle passed away on Dec. 2, 2020. They had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill retired from the Navy in 1975 and went to work for Safeway Warehouse as a forklift mechanic. Bill retired from there in 2002.

The family lived in San Diego from 1955 to 2002. In 2002, Bill and Ronda moved to Belen. They joined the First Baptist Church of Los Chavez in 2002. Ronda passed away May 4, 2008. They had 53 years together.

Bill got his first computer in 2008, and met Rose Owen online in 2009. He proposed to Rose on Sept. 20, 2010.  Bill and Rose were married on May 28, 2011, in Brookings, S.D. Rose has two boys, Andrew Owen, who lives in Bosque Farms, and Leland Owen, who lives in Volga, S.D.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, June 18, to celebrate the life of William (Bill) Duncan Jr.  Visitation will be from 9:30-10:30 a.m., and a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Los Chavez. Interment will then take place at Terrace Grove Cemetery.