Nancy Carter Duggan

Nancy Carter Simmons Duggan, a principal in the Imperial Half Bushel silver shop that was located on Howard Street's Baltimore's Antique Row for more than four decades, died at her retirement home residence in Solomons, Maryland on 2 July 2025. She was 91.
Nancy had met Naval Academy graduate U.S. Navy Lieutenant J.G. Frederick F. Duggan Jr. in 1952 while she was in her first semester at Corpus Christie Junior College and he was in flight training; they married 2 January1953 and during his tours of duty they lived in Memphis TN (3 years), Monterey CA (2 years), Kodiak AL (2 years), Monterey CA (3 years), and Norfolk VA (2 years). They developed close relationships with many of the military families they were in close proximity with and particularly with Newby and Dottie Kelt; their daughter Patricia Ann was Nancy's god-daughter. Nancy was a member of the P.E.O. (now known publicly as the Philanthropic Educational Organization International); she was inducted in 1955 by her mother in Colorado, and was with a chapter in Memphis, after moving to Baltimore she joined a local chapter and served at every level of officer including twice as president.

Fred's last tour of duty was in Washington DC and they moved to Bowie MD in 1967; after his retirement in 1970 he started buying at auction and consignment shops in the Washington and Baltimore areas and converted his interest in antiques into a business by selling silverware at similar venues. Nancy had returned to school at the Prince George's Community College and then the University of Maryland College Park and graduated in 1976 with a B.S. in Consumer Economics which was the same year they purchased, renovated (with the help of all four children) and opened their shop which stayed open until 2019.

Fred, Nancy and their eldest son Patrick made their first retail sales at the 25th Silver Anniversary Tobacco Barn Antique Show in Upper Marlboro thanks to their silver specialty (and continued with the show for 20 years); they opened the shop two months later. They bought and sold American, European and other silverware from all over the world but specialized in Maryland silverware due to the history of silverware manufacturing in Baltimore; the floral repoussé style holloware made by Samuel Kirk and A.E. Warner became popular in the 1830's and by the 1890's the S. Kirk & Son Co., Jacobi & Jenkins, the Stieff Co. and the Schofield Co. and as well as smaller firms were manufacturing both holloware and flatware that was eagerly sought by those who could afford it.

Mark Letzer, Former President and CEO of the Maryland Center for History and Culture shared "I spent almost every lunch hour for many years visiting the Imperial Half Bushel on Howard Street which was literally a three minute walk from the museum. I was always greeted by the loveliest smile from Nancy. She was one of the kindest women I have ever known and always inquired about the museum as well as my family. Her husband Fred and son Patrick rounded up the family experience one had when visiting their beautiful silver shop."

Nancy Carter Simmons was born 12 February 1934 in Beaver City NB, the daughter of David Simmons and Salome Ripley. During the depression her parents and her two older brothers (David & Bill) and she lived on a farm in Nebraska; her father was a lawyer and prior to his death in the late 1930's would often take his fees in barter. Salome married Mark Hansen in Denver and they were the parents of Mary, Chris and Ingrid; after Mark's death she married Allan Breck, there was a step-daughter from both the second marriage (Karen) and third (Anne). Nancy had many nieces and nephews.

Nancy is survived by her husband Fred and all four children: Patrick M. (married Martha Hopkins), Colleen F. (married Alfonso Magadan), Sharon A. (married Joseph Faulkner), and F. David (married and divorced Pippa Hailstone, married Kathleen Fox). There are five grandchildren and one grandson-in-law and four great-grand children (with another on the way!). She is also survived by siblings Mary, Chris, Ingrid, and Anne.