Virgil D. Duncan

Virgil Dean Duncan, P.E. (formerly of Raleigh) passed away peacefully at Carteret General Hospital on Thursday July 29th in the loving care of his daughter Joanne.
Virgil was born November 15th 1920 in Chavies, Alabama to parents Horace Greely Duncan and Nora Belle Hyde.
As a young man Virgil read Popular Science and designed radios in cigar boxes in his bedroom. He worked for the Alabama Power Company and bought sophisticated electronic testing equipment. At 13 he hired a local professor to teach him trigonometry and advanced calculus as he was frustrated he could not design extremely complex circuits. While in High School the Military sought sophisticated electronic testing equipment and soon discovered this young man in Alabama bought quite a few pieces. Virgil was invited to become part of an extremely fast paced engineering group to aid the war effort in the relatively new science of radar. Virgil was quickly sent to Georgia Tech University to study and teach what he already knew about the science. Virgil graduated with his Fort Payne High School Class of 1942 escorted by military police due to his extensive knowledge. Soon Virgil was off to North Carolina State University to study for 4 months in their advanced engineering courses, including differential and integral calculus, physics and ultra high frequency techniques. He was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, American Service Medal, and Good Conduct Medal and received Citations for the invention of improvements to radar that was credited for helping win the war.
While in Raleigh, he sought work to help support himself and his family back home and met A. J. Fletcher who had formed WRAL-AM. Mr. Fletcher and Virgil became good friends during his short stay in Raleigh. Virgil was soon sent to supervise 27 radar installations in Hawaiian Islands due to the devastation in Pearl Harbor. Virgil adored the Islands and took his family there as often as he could. Virgil served in the U.S. Army until his honorable discharge in 1946.
After his discharge he returned to Raleigh and once again went to work for A. J. Fletcher. In 1948 he married a secretary from Capitol Broadcasting Company, Sarah Elizabeth Stevens of Raleigh. They have three daughters Sarah Elizabeth Duncan Root (Michael), Deana Hyde Duncan Dolan and Joanne Wallace Duncan Alpiser.
At this time Mr. Fletcher was working on television and it soon became Virgil's passion. On December 17, 1953 Capitol Broadcasting Company's Corporate Secretary Scottie Stephenson and Virgil arrived at the FCC office in Washington, DC, the two delivered the final documentation for the one VHF frequency reserved for Raleigh, North Carolina, Channel 5. They arrived at the FCC just 30 minutes before the deadline. After a lengthy and fierce battle in the nation's capital, A. J. Fletcher led a gathering to break ground on his WRAL-TV station. On December 15th 1956 the station began broadcasting. This was the highlight of Virgil's career and he always talked of his love of broadcasting. Mr. Fletcher was so enamored with Virgil he entrusted him with his grandson, James Fletcher Goodmon. Virgil and Jim quickly became friends and Virgil enjoyed showing him every aspect of the operation. In 1970 Virgil's desire to invent products and start his own companies began with Terminal Communications Company that was later bought out by United Aircraft and later Telex Memorex.
In 1975 Virgil D. Duncan P.A. was formed and provided consulting engineering services to Dow Jones, Johnson and Johnson, the Kings of Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Virgil holds numerous patents, trademarks and copyrights too numerous to mention. Virgil went on to develop a number of companies and in 1984 was one of the first presenters at the Council for Entrepreneurial Development's Venture Capital Fair. In 1986 working with his daughter Joanne and former son-in-law John R. Alpiser (JoDee), they acquired Venture Capital from InterSouth Partners. They took great pride in being one of InterSouth's first investments and saw their company go public on the NASDAQ exchange.
A memorial service will be held at Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC at Noon on Monday, August 2, 2010, with the Rev. Dr. Billy F. Seate, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Morehead City, officiating.
Virgil is survived by his wife of 62 years, daughters, grandson, Justin Mark Alpiser, sisters-in-law, Ann Duncan and Ethel Stevens Wallace, nephews and nieces Pat Wallace McClure (Jim), Michael Wallace (Jan), Vernon Wallace Duncan Jr. (Cindy), Michael Kelton Duncan (Charlene), Rob Duncan, Cissy Duncan Chastain (Bruce) and lots of great nieces and nephews.
Virgil was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved brother Judge Vernon Wallace Duncan, brother-in-laws Joseph Everette Stevens, Royal David Wallace, his beautiful niece Martha Ann Wallace Bumgardner, and sweet great nephew Jeremiah Duncan.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.
Flowers are welcome or contributions may be made to the Georgia Tech School of Engineering, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332.
Access online obituary and internet condolences through brooksfuneralhomeandcrematory.com
Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., Morehead City, NC.