Lee Bernard Duncan

Surrounded by the love of his family, Lee Bernard Duncan passed away peacefully due to dementia/Alzheimer's and complications from Covid and pneumonia. He was 81 years old. Lee was born to Byron and Jean Duncan on Sept 20, 1942 in Long Beach, CA. The family moved to Visalia, CA three years later. Lee attended local schools, graduating from Mt Whitney High School in 1960, and Fresno State in 1970. After graduating, he taught elementary school for the Tulare City School District. He loved his students and coworkers, and was never happier than to see former students and hear how they were doing. Lee retired in 2003 after 32 years of teaching. In addition, he obtained his real estate license, and worked for several real estate companies over the years. He was a member of the Tulare Lions Club and Tulare Kiwanis Club. He valued service to the community and enjoyed volunteering for various projects to benefit others.

Lee is survived by Carolyn, his wife of 57 years; daughter Denise Elder, her husband Mark, their daughters Emily and Olivia, of Novato, CA, and by daughter Lisa Hidalgo, her husband Curtis, and their children, Ava, Bryce, and Gavin, of Lake Oswego, OR. He is also survived by his sister, Elaine Hord, of Visalia, CA, and cousins, nieces, and nephews, as well as great nieces and nephews.

Lee always enjoyed his weekly golf game with his buddies, and anybody else who wanted to join in. He was often teased that his score never seemed to get better, but we all knew his time spent with friends on the course was his favorite. Lee and Carolyn had a love for the Central Coast, and spent many vacations in their trailer at Morro Dunes. This became a favorite gathering spot for family reunions, with grandkids looking forward to their time spent with Grandpa and Grandma in the trailer. They also traveled regularly in their 5th wheel to visit friends, and made annual fall trips to Northern CA and Oregon. Lee and Carolyn moved to Tigard, Oregon in 2019 to be closer to family, where Lee loved cheering for his grandkids in their activities, whether it be soccer, basketball, dance or lacrosse. He loved his dog, Cooper, and delighted in daily walks with him around the neighborhood. As was customary throughout his entire life, he enjoyed nothing more than running into friends and neighbors and visiting. He could strike up a conversation wherever he went.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the Tulare area, date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, or any other charity of your choice. We are so grateful for the full life he lived, and he will be greatly missed. 

Please visit the guestbook portion of this site and enter a special memory or message. Thank you. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lee Bernard Duncan, please visit our floral store.