Mrs. Joan Duncan

Mrs. Joan Duncan, 90 of Navasota, passed away Thursday, October 1st at the Seasons on Waters Street in Navasota. Visitation with family and friends will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 7th at Nobles Funeral Chapel. A celebration of her life will be at 11:00 am, Thursday, October 8th, also at the funeral home, with interment following in Oakland Cemetery. Rev. Jeremy Woodley will officiate. A special eulogy will be provided by James Nelson. Arrangements are under the direction of Nobles Funeral Chapel.

Joan was born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma on February 19, 1930 to Charles Glenn Roe and Opal Laura (Wells) Anthony. She graduated from Hillsboro High school at the age of 17, and attended college at North Texas State Teacher’s College in Denton, where she obtained a degree in education. In 1951 she moved to Navasota and became a homemaking teaching at Navasota High School where she taught leather crafting and metal etching. While playing tennis she was introduced to a charming young man and they soon became doubles partners for life. She married George Samuel Duncan on May 28, 1955 and had 2 children. Together they shared 37 wonderful years of fishing, family time, visits with great friends and a deep love of teaching.

Joan inherited her love of teaching from her mother Opal, who had taught in a one room school house, where she was required to clean, chop wood, and help with meals for the students. Joan loved teaching, but wanted to spend more time with her children, so she opened a Play School in her back yard, where she taught kindergarten children for 9 years. She fell in love with her younger students, so she returned to college at Texas A&M to become a certified kindergarten teacher. She became a kindergarten teacher for Navasota Elementary School in 1972. When the state of Texas opened a new Pre-Kindergarten class, she was one of the first to become a Pre-K teacher. She loved her kids and taught untl she retired from the public school system in May of 1995. After four years of retirement she was excited to join the new Trinity Lutheran Preschool program as a teacher again. She was teaching the kids she loved again, and continued to teach until her retirement in May of 2012 at the age of 82. Her love for her students and her desire to “love God’s children” were a source of great joy throughout her entire life. Everywhere she went, there was always someone who would run up to her and give her a hug, reminding her of when she was their teacher, and how much they loved her. She was never too busy to stop and reminisce, or hear all about what they were doing. The reward was one of the great joys of her life. Joan was a member of the Navasota First United Methodist Church that she loved dearly. She was also a proud member of the Grimes County Retired Teachers Association.

Joan was a blessing to many others for 90 years. She was quick with a smile and a hug, and quick to forgive. She shared her faith, kindness and her love for life with everyone she met. She dearly loved her family, and leaves behind many wonderful memories of a life well lived.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law Glenn and Malissa Duncan; daughter and son-in-law Beth and Dennis Gappa; grandchildren Andrew and Jacob Duncan and Morris, Jamie and Christopher Bishop and great-grandchildren Zoe, Chloe and Tyler.

Serving as pallbearers are Ira Southerland, Mark Southerland, Andrew Duncan, Jacob Duncan, Morris Bishop, Jamie Bishop, Marty Roberts and Christopher Bishop. Honarary pallbearers are James Nelson and Zoe Bishop.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Duncan; parents Opal and Glenn Anthony; and her sister Glenna Lee Roberts.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial contribution in her name be made to First United Methodist Church, 616 Holland Street, Navasota, Texas 77868 or go to www.navasotamethodistchurch.org/give .

You are invited to leave kind words and fond memories at www.noblesfuneral.com .