Obituary of Erle Floyd Duncan

DUNCAN: Erle Floyd Duncan passed away peacefully after nine days in hospital on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. He is survived and lovingly remembered by his son from Medicine Hat, AB, Scott (Elizabeth) Duncan and their children: Kaitlin (Geoff), Saxon, Callum and Lachlan; daughter from Grenfell, SK, Lisa-Dawn (Jamie) Gorchynski and their son Nelson (Aleesha) and great grandsons Lennon, Jack, Kaius, and Xavier; and son from Brandon, MB, Jay (Heather) Duncan and their children: Liam, Carlyn and Ellie. He also leaves to mourn his passing a sister-in-law Ruth Duncan from Vancouver, BC and many nieces, nephews, and close friends. Erle was the youngest of five children born to parents Walter and Vera Duncan. He was predeceased by his parents, and all four siblings; eldest brother, Douglas, sister Eva, brother Harvey and brother Jim. In 2016 he lost his wife and "partner", as he affectionately called her, of 59 years, Julie Duncan. Erle was born in the family farmhouse at North Norfolk, near Austin, MB on June 22, 1929. Life on the farm, especially during the Depression, was difficult for Erle and his family, but they never went hungry. Born at a time when the farm had no electricity and no indoor plumbing, Erle definitely appreciated all of the creature comforts that we have in abundance in our lives today. Erle had many fond memories of growing up with his siblings on the farm. During World War II Doug, the oldest, served overseas at a radar station in Northern Ireland, while Jim was training at Shilo. Erle was ten at the time the war broke out and hoped to sign up himself one day. By the time he could sign up, the war had ended. Erle stayed in school and worked on the farm until he left to work on the railroad for a couple of years shortly thereafter. Erle met his future wife, Julie, while she was visiting her Uncle Ben and Aunt Anne's restaurant in Austin, MB. They were married in the Fort Garry United Church in Winnipeg on March 30, 1957. As newlyweds Erle and Julie started their married life in Winnipeg, where Erle began his career with highway engineering for the Province of Manitoba while Julie worked as a nurse at the King George Hospital. The couple moved to Brandon the following year and it was here that they settled to raise their family. They welcomed three children: Scott, Lisa-Dawn and Jay. For many years, the family lived on 12th Street and made life-long friends in the neighbourhood. Erle and Julie treasured the friendships they forged with neighbours and work colleagues. After retirement, Erle looked forward to his Tuesday morning breakfasts with other retired colleagues from the Highways department. In 1978, the family moved to an acreage in the Chater area. Erle and Julie both worked very hard building the house, with lots of help from Erle's siblings. They developed a beautiful yard and vegetable garden and planted hundreds of trees on the property. The family enjoyed eight years out in the country before Julie and Erle moved back into Brandon in 1986. Erle and Julie moved to Queens Crescent, which remained their residence for the rest of their years. Here they formed more close friendships. As well, they enjoyed hosting many family gatherings, welcoming grandchildren for summer holidays and numerous Sunday dinners, featuring Julie's excellent cooking and baking, which was savoured by everyone, especially Erle. As a retired couple, Erle and Julie enjoyed traveling. Their last big trip taken as a couple was in 2012 to Europe, with Scott, Jay, Heather and friend Keay, where they paid respects to the graves of Erle's Uncle Melville Duncan and Julie's Uncle W. James Collier, both lost in World War 1. Erle was always a builder, but in his retirement, he derived great joy in perfecting his carpentry skills. He became a cabinet maker, created desks, display cases, picture frames, wardrobes, and garden arbours to name a few. We have many of his creations in our homes to cherish for years to come. Manners and chivalry were an important part of Erle's identity. Holding doors open for others, especially the ladies, having all of his fellow female diners order first at a restaurant, removing hats when indoors - these were non-negotiables in Erle's eyes. Erle had a life-long love of learning. He enjoyed history, politics, environmental conservation, mechanical engineering, aeronautics. He also enjoyed a subscription to the Brandon Sun and reading the Globe and Mail every Saturday. Erle's reading habits no doubt kept his mind sharp and updated on current events, allowing him to participate in conversation with young and old on a variety of subjects. However, Erle also knew the value of sitting back and listening while his family talked, a quality that was admired by his grandchildren. Erle's family meant the world to him. This included his siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his nieces and nephews, as well as his immediate family. He always made an effort to stay in touch with relatives around the province and country. In his later years, despite declining health, he cared for his wife and partner when her health began to fail, taking over the grocery shopping and cooking, among other duties in the home. As a couple and on his own, Erle tried his best to keep himself as independent of outside help as possible Although steadfast about maintaining his independence, he was also very appreciative of all the help he was obliged to receive in his final years. He regularly made a point of thanking people for their many kindnesses. Even in his final days, when his breath was so hard to catch, he spent his limited energy expressing his gratitude to his family and friends, letting them know how fortunate he felt. The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to Dr. Groves, who provided exemplary care for over 30 years. Thank you also to Dr. D. Smith, Dr. L. Moeller, Dr.Turabian, and the staff of 400 Medicine for their kind words and empathetic care during Erle's last days. Thank you also to all who visited and shared their love and support with Erle and all of us during this difficult time. A Memorial Service will be held at Knox United Church, 451-18th Street, Brandon, MB on Friday, February 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Donations in Erle's memory may be made to The Brandon Festival of the Arts, Office 130, 100-1300 18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 6X7 or to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum Foundation, Box 10, Austin, MB, R0H 0C0 or to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, MB, R7A 2B3.