Terry Duncan

1950 - 2018

Terry Lee Duncan

June 14, 1950 - March 6, 2018

Terry Lee Duncan, our beloved brother, uncle and friend, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Terry was taken after a struggle with prostate cancer at the age of 67.
The second son of Ellis and Norma Duncan, Terry was born June 14, 1950, in Salem, Illinois. The family moved from Illinois to Monument, New Mexico, in 1952, and Terry was raised and educated in Hobbs, New Mexico. A 1968 graduate of Hobbs High School, Terry was active in band and choir. He played trombone and tuba in the HHS Eagles Basketball Band, Taskervitch. In addition, he sang tenor in A Capella Choir and qualified for All-State Mixed Choir in his senior year.
In 1969, Terry won a music scholarship to attend Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. Subsequently, he left ENMU and moved to Albuquerque, where he briefly attended the University of New Mexico.
In 1974, Terry moved to San Francisco, California, where he worked as an instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studios. In the late 1970s, Terry opened a pet store, Strictly For The Birds, in the city's Haight-Ashbury district. His success with that pet store enabled him to open a second shop in the Castro district.
In the early 1980s, Terry's entrepreneurial sense led him to professional cooking and catering. Over his long career he grew from being a self-taught cook to an "in demand" private chef, butler, and caterer. Terry's outgoing personality, hard work, and talent made him a natural fit for parties, whether small gatherings or large public events. From cooking to staffing, Terry did it all—making friends and serving as a mentor to many along the way.
Terry's work in the San Francisco home of Adolphus and Emily Andrews spanned 35 years. He saw a generation of Andrews grandchildren grow up. Those kids liked to "hang out" with Terry in the kitchen. He was considered a member of the family.
Terry was truly one of a kind. His life light shined brightly. And his spirit will live on in all who knew him.
Terry was preceded in death by his father, Bertie Ellis Duncan; his mother, Norma Fulkerson Duncan Underhill; his brother, Michael Ellis Duncan; and his longtime companion, Michael "Jersey" Smith.
We celebrate your life, big brother, and will miss you dearly. All our love,
Cathe Duncan, Monte & Brenda Duncan, Mika & Paul Newey, and the Duncan, Fulkerson, and Underhill families.
A special thank-you to Terry's extended San Francisco family: John Wells, Stephen Wright, Laura & Claudio de Pedis, the Andrews family, the Tobin family, George Viray, Stephen Gentile, Elizabeth Eckholt, Mark Rhynsburger, and many others.
A celebration of Terry's life will be held at the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, on June 3. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, June 14, 2018, at Prairie Haven Cemetery in Hobbs, New Mexico.