Norman Duncan, 100, left this earth on August 16, 2019. He was born in Manhattan, New York, on March 3rd, 1919, to Miriam (Ottenstein) and Peter Duncan, residents of Staten Island, New York. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Florence Feldman, and his wife of 72 years, Elsie (Sheldon) Duncan, whom he met during WWII in London. Mr. Duncan is survived by his sons Robert (Rosa) Duncan and Timothy (Patricia) Duncan, his daughter Patricia “Tina” (James) Barden, eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
During WWII, Norman was drafted and assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, 116th Regiment, E Company, but after a training accident was re-assigned to General Eisenhower’s extended staff and the Special Services Division. In this role he developed initiatives to assist with command morale, welfare, and recreational programs. He quickly rose to Master Sergeant and was in charge of Logistics and Supply at US bases in the United Kingdom and in support of Operations Torch (North Africa) and Overlord (Normandy, France). While serving in the army, he was awarded the European-African-Middle East Service Ribbon and a Good Conduct Medal. In 2018 he was awarded the Legion of Honor award by the government of France, in recognition of the service that he provided to military campaigns throughout France during WWII. A member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the 29th Division Association, he recently returned to Normandy for the second time (as a guest of Veterans Back to Normandy) and attended the 75th D-Day Commemoration.
His army career and experience led him to his private life career in the moving and freight industry as a transportation logistics specialist. This work took him and his family to places all over Europe and also to Iran, but he made his home in McLean, Virginia during this period. He was an advocate for minority participation in transportation and served as a board member for a Washington, D.C.-based minority transportation association. Norman was involved as a volunteer with Civil Defense, including as a first responder to the January 15, 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck, and was invited by President Carter to be a part of the National Defense Executive Reserve; his interest in serving his country was bipartisan, as he worked as a transportation consultant to the Reagan inaugural committee. In recent years, he was very active in Loudoun County, serving on the Transportation Economic Development Committee and as a board member of the Loudoun Symphony. He was also founder of the Labor of Love Day for caregivers, celebrated every Labor Day in Loudoun County. Norman was named one of Loudoun’s 100 most influential people in 2016. Through his caregiving efforts for his wife in her final years, Norman became involved in caregiving and dementia advocacy, serving as Chairman of the International Caregivers Association Board.
The family would like to give special thanks to the Martinsburg West VA Medical Center especially the LIGHTHOUSE staff for their loving care of Norman. In addition we would like to thank Valerie Cardin and her group Veterans Back to Normandy for providing two wonderful trips back to Normandy which were definitely highlights in his last years.
