Francis X. Duggan

1925 - 2020

Francis X. Duggan
Nov. 12, 1925 - July 27, 2020
Resident of Campbell
Francis Xavier Duggan ("Frank") was born November 12, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Bart J. and Mary Boyce Duggan. Educated in the public and parochial schools of Philadelphia, Frank entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943 and was sent for officer training in the Marine Corps V-12 programs at Notre Dame and Purdue Universities. After the war, he received a B.A. in English from Notre Dame.
In 1950, Frank married Barbara Jean Daly of South Bend, Indiana, and was called to active duty in the Korean War that same year. He spent over 22 years in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring at the rank of major.
In 1950 and 1960, respectively, Frank received an M.A. and Ph.D. in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught English at Notre Dame in 1948-49; at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, from 1954-1958; at St. Joseph's College, Indiana, from 1958-1962. In 1962, Frank accepted a position at Santa Clara University and moved with his family to California. At SCU, he taught in the English Department, serving as chair of the department for several years, and on the University's Board of Trustees from 1970-1976. After 35 years of service, he retired from SCU in 1997.
A talented, amateur artist all his life, Frank studied painting and etching at San Jose State University in the mid-1980s. For a period of 20 years, he volunteered for Books Aloud, Inc., recording books on tape for the blind and physically handicapped, and in the 1990s, under the auspices of Partners in Reading, Frank taught reading and writing to adults in need of those skills.
On July 27, 2020, Frank passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence at Merrill Gardens in Campbell, California. He was a devoted husband and father, selfless in all aspects of his life, and his children will forever miss his wit, wise counsel, and calming presence in their lives.
Frank is preceded in death by his wife Barbara, his siblings John H. Duggan, S.J., Marie T. Forte, and Joseph J. Duggan. He is survived by his children, Michael Sean Duggan, Reverend Kevin Francis Xavier Duggan, Barbara Marie Duggan (Steven Martinez), and Ann Catherine Duggan; and by his grandchildren Catherine Marie and Madeleine Mairead Duggan Haddad, and Nicholas, Liam and Bridget Martinez.
A private funeral mass will be held on Monday, August 10, 2020, at St. Lucy's Catholic Church in Campbell, California. A memorial service for extended family and friends to celebrate Frank's life will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Frank's name to the National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/donate.htm.


View the online memorial for Francis X. Duggan