…retired from Teamsters Local 25; 83
TEWKSBURY – Charles Robert (Charlie, Bob) Duncan, 83 years old, an active member of the St. William’s parish community, died peacefully Independence Day morning, July 4th, at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, surrounded by his beloved family. He was the husband of Anne J. (McEvilly) Duncan, with whom he celebrated 52 years of marriage this past February.
Born in Roxbury to the late Cecil and Anna (Moody) Duncan, Charlie and his three siblings were raised in Dorchester. Upon graduation from Dorchester High School, he enlisted into the U.S. Coast Guard where he served during the Korean War aboard the icebreaker Snohomish.
After marrying Anne, they lived briefly in Melrose before moving to Tewksbury in 1965 to raise their family. A resident of Tewksbury for over 50 years, he was an active and tireless community leader serving his parish, youth sports, and the larger community. At St. William’s Church, he was a devout Catholic, and a member of the Fr. Coppen’s Council, Knights of Columbus. Dedicated to youth sports, he held various positions in Tewksbury Youth Hockey and Youth Baseball programs. Throughout his retirement years, he spent his time as a volunteer at the Tewksbury Hospital, a member of the Tewksbury Golden Age Club, and a program participant at the Tewksbury Senior Center.
Additionally, Charlie held various leadership positions within organized labor during his 40 years as a truck driver for Hemingway and St. Johnsbury Trucking and was a proud member of Teamsters Local 25, Boston Chapter.
Besides his wife Anne, he is survived by three sons and their spouses, Robert C. and Paige (Platt) Duncan of Windham, NH, Steven W. and Colleen (Hornby) Duncan of Salisbury, MA, and Jeremy S. and Christy (Bennett) Duncan of Warwick, RI; six grandchildren, Kimberlee Duncan of NY and Natalie Duncan of NH, Sarah Duncan and Matthew Duncan of MA, Cassidy Duncan and Alexis Duncan of RI; many nieces and nephews; and was preceded in death by his sister Mildred MacDonald; and brothers, Edward Duncan and John Duncan.
Visiting hours are Wednesday, July 8th from 4:00 until 8:00 P.M. in the Tewksbury Funeral Home, 1 Dewey Street Tewksbury, MA. Phone. 978-851-2950. His funeral will be Thursday, July 9th at 9:00 A.M. from the funeral home, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM in St. William’s Church, 1351 Main St. (Rte. 38), Tewksbury. Burial with U.S. Coast Guard honors will be in St. Mary Cemetery, North Tewksbury. The family is grateful for the support provided by many caregivers including research teams at Beth Israel Deaconess where Charlie participated in a successful two-year Melanoma trial. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701 or Merrimack Valley Hospice House, 360 North Ave., Haverhill, MA 01863. Visit tewksburyfuneralhome.com.