Giles Henderson Duncan, 85, of Salem, passed away peacefully with his loving children by his side.
To find words to truly summarize the life of Giles comes with a large amount of difficulty. A genuinely loving and compassionate family man who touched the lives of so many has left behind a truly inspirational legacy of dedication and service to be remembered by. It was of no secret to anyone that being a retired firefighter was his most cherished as well as proudest accomplishment. He spent many years serving as Arson Investigator, then returned to doing what he loved the most, up until his retirement as a Roanoke City Fire Fighter, who also spent time working with Roanoke Airport Fire & Rescue. During that time, he was also a dedicated member of the United States Army Reserves, from which he also retired. Chances are if he were not on the back of a fire truck headed to that next call, you would find him spending time with his loving family or fishing on a local riverbank. Thank you, Giles, for your dedicated service to not only your country but also to your community, you will be deeply missed.
He is preceded death by parents, Arthur and Mary Agnes Duncan; loving wife of over fifty years, Francis Duncan; son, Kevin Duncan; and seven siblings.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Bryan Duncan and Kellie Adams (David); brother, Tommy Duncan; grandchildren, Aija Kroll, Erin Duncan, Tripp Adams, and Olivia Adams; as well as his great-grandchildren. Zachory Kroll, Julius Huffman, Keegan Huffman, and Maddy Kroll; also left to cherish his memory are numerous other family members and dear friends.
A chapel funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. at John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home in Salem. Guests may begin to arrive between the hours of 2 and 4:00 p.m. prior to the service. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 22, 2021, at Sherwood Memorial Park. Pastor Ben Mewald will be officiating.
Online condolences as well as accessing the live stream broadcast of the service can be done by visiting the funeral home’s website, www.johnmoakey.com. The live stream broadcast will begin ten minutes before the service.
The live stream broadcast of the service will begin ten minutes prior to the service.