More detail on this person: James E. Duncan passed away peacefully on June 16 at his home in
San Jose, CA. with family by his side. Born in bishop, CA to Emery and Joyce Feste Duncan, he was
the oldest of five siblings. Drafted into military service in 1966, he was commissioned as an
officer in the U.S. Army in 1967 and served in the Vietnam War. A distinguished helicopter pilot,
Jim earned multiple Commendation Medals, Air Medals and a Bronze Star for his repeated aerial
support of combat missions.
Jim met his wife, Elaine Watkins, while serving as a flight instructor at Ft. Wolters, TX. After an
honorable discharge as a Captain in 1972, they married and moved to California where he completed
his degree at CSU Northridge. Their family has resided in the Evergreen area of San Jose since 1989.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Elaine; his son, Todd (Renee) Duncan; his daughter Staci
(Mark) O'Brien; five grandchildren; four siblings and thirteen nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at the Villages Golf and Country Club, Vineyard Center, on Saturday,
June 30, at 10:30 am. Donations in Jim's memory may be sent to Hospice of the Valley, 4850 Union
Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124.
Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on June 24, 2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 08/31/2024
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