Adren Lee Duncan

Graveside services for Adren Lee Duncan will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Fairview Cemetery north of Alva with Brother Lanis Lindsey, officiating. Services are under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva. There will be a Celebration of Life service at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Village Creek Baptist Church, 13224 Sardis Road, Mabelvale, Arkansas 72103.
Adren Lee Duncan, son of Bufford Andrew Duncan and Vera Pearl (Barham) Duncan, was born April 4, 1946, in Perry County, Tennessee, and passed away October 5, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 79 years and 6 months and 1 day.
Adren has struggled with vision loss since a youth. At age 11, Adren had partial vision and had to have glasses. At age 12, Adren had cataracts that were removed 10 years later. Adren attended Perry County High School in Linden, TN, and graduated in 1965. After graduation, he went to Michigan and worked almost four years. He sold home products, worked in a car wash and at the Marathon Oil Refinery. He returned to Tennessee in 1969-1970 and had eye surgery. He and Alton Lynch became great friends and traveled a lot. Then in 1971, Adren worked in Totty's Shoe Shop in Linden, Tennessee, with Randel Totty and family. In May of 1972, Adren moved to Little Rock for six months and went to work at Lion's World. He learned Braille, typing, and mobility skills for the blind. Barbara, his future wife, taught him Braille.
Adren graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1977, with a double major in psychology and sociology and with a certification to teach in 38 states. He taught 18 years at Arkansas Enterprises/World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Adren married Barbara Kay Thornberry, December 15, 1978, in Little Rock where they made their home. He never let the fact that he had challenges with his sight keep him from doing anything that he decided to do.
Adren gave back to his community. He has served as a youth director, Sunday school teacher, activities director, and he helped with the bus ministry. He and Barbara started attending Village Creek Baptist Church in 2013. Adren also worked for the Dept. of Human Services for the Blind under the DHS umbrella. After retiring from different positions, he continued to return to work in new areas and capacities. He worked with tax and unemployment benefits, Hog Man's Hog Pen, and the Dept. of Workforce Services for the Blind.
Adren has been a Toastmaster for 38 years and has six Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) awards from Toastmaster International and earned a total of 152 Educational Awards. He was a Division Director 3 times, Area Director 3 times, and Club Officer 54 times and was a Club Coach 4 times, Club Mentor 1 time, and Club Sponsor twice. He also works with eight other Toastmaster clubs. At various times in his Toastmasters Career, he was a member of 15 different clubs. Also, he was an active member of the Lions Club and a Gideon. He was a loyal Sigma Chi member.
Adren was a co-founder of the FirstCare OutReach Ministry for the Blind and Vision Impaired at the First Lutheran Church and a co-founder of the Kingdom Toastmasters at the same location. He worked with the church board to start a Grief Sharing Support Group.
In the 1980's, Adren assisted the Deaf & Blind. They went to state and national conventions where he interpreted for the deaf/blind attendees. Adren took Spanish for five years, Arabic for two years, and took almost a year of German and Russian. Adren served on the Arkansas Rehab Council for the Blind and served on the Board of Directors for Main Stream from 1981 to the present. T.J. Hargett and Adren co-authored a book, "Tougher Than Nails" that was published in 2021.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Barbara Duncan, his brother Alfred Duncan, and many dear friends.
Survivors include his sisters and brother, Nola Chandler of Columbia, TN, Hazel Rice of Charleston, AR, and Marvin (Brenda) Duncan of Maryville, eight nieces and a host of other loving family members and many friends.
Contributions may be made in his memory through the funeral home to the Fairview Cemetery by mailing to Marshall Funeral Home, P.O. Box 804, Alva, OK 73717.