Shirley Ann Duncan

Service Details

The family is having a private celebration of life and committal service.

Memorial Suggestions

Memorial remembrances to the Duncan Family C.N.A. Program at Carthage College and local hospice facilities would be appreciated by the family.

Shirley Duncan passed away on February 27, 2024 peacefully after a brief illness.

Shirley was the beloved wife of Dr. James T. Duncan, Jr.; mother to James (Tom) T. (Jan) Duncan III; Douglas N. (Cathy) Duncan; grandmother to Erin (Jeff) Zematis; Dr. Stephen (Dr. Marcy) Duncan; David (Dayna) Duncan; Carrie (Page) Crozer; great grandmother to James, Jack and Josh Zematis, Thomas and Graham Duncan; Dawson and Avery Duncan; Bobby and Lily Crozer.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. James T. Duncan, Jr., her parents Nels G. and Jennie Johnson Larson and a brother, Chester Larson. Shirley is survived by two brothers, Harley, and Duane.

Shirley was born in Stambaugh, Michigan later consolidated into Iron River, Michigan where she grew up. She graduated from Iron River High School where she was the valedictorian of her class and went on to Rush Presbyterian School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois where she received her RN degree. This is where she met the love of her life, James T. Duncan, Jr., M.D., who was finishing his residency in Internal Medicine. After a short courtship, the two married in Iron River, Michigan on August 19, 1950. After Dr. Duncan completed his residency, Shirley and Jim moved to Kenosha in 1953 to raise their family, Tom and Doug and Jim accepted a position with Drs. Gilbert and Harry Schwartz to practice medicine in what would later become the 6th Avenue Medical Center.

Shirley was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside. She had a real love of life and everyone around her knew what a wonderful person she was. She was an incredible cook, inherited from her mother, Jennie, and during every holiday the house was always full of family and friends. Shirley loved the water, both frozen for figure skating that she performed on so artfully and the open water, for boating and water skiing. Her favorite get-away was to Franklin Lake in northern Wisconsin with Loons landing and taking off, the fireplace in the great room for family and friends to have conversation, reminiscing, board games and watching for Rocky Raccoon to appear. The ski boat was operating all day long and everyone learned how to water ski. There were two “potluck” groups that the Duncans were in that celebrated every holiday together.

Shirley served on the Kenosha Hospital Auxiliary, Kenosha Achievement Center, First Congregational Church Diaconate and the Board of Directors that developed the Lakeside Towers. More importantly she was Chair of the Duncan household which was no small task. You could find Shirley many evenings a week delivering dinner to 6th Avenue Medical Center so Jim could call his patients late into the evening with their lab results and other pertinent medical information.

Shirley loved her family and always made time for them. She took particular interest in her grandchildren and great, great grandchildren always asking how they were doing and interested in their success stories. Shirley was an avid observer of the stock market and did well in the stocks she selected and for those around her who were willing to take on some risk for reward.

After Dr. Jim’s retirement from 33 years of practicing medicine together they traveled the United States, and the world enjoying trips to the Great China Wall, Alaska, and Europe. During their retirement years, life was spent living in Wellington, Florida, but always returning to their home and family and friends in Kenosha that they lived in for 68 years during the summers.

A big heartfelt thank you to Dr. Kalloo who provided loving and compassionate care to both Jim and Shirley.

The family is having a private celebration of life and committal service. Memorial remembrances to the Duncan Family C.N.A. Program at Carthage College and local hospice facilities would be appreciated by the family.