Edward Lee Duncan

A celebration of life is 11 a.m. Jan. 31 at Carson Valley Christian for U.S. Air Force veteran Edward Lee Duncan, 65, who died Jan. 10, 2009, in Gardnerville.

Born in Oklahoma City to Edward F. and Betty Mae (Lawton) Duncan, he graduated from high school in Arkansas City, Kan.

He received a bachelor's degree in industrial design from Kansas State University. In his senior year he was appointed Air Force ROTC cadet wing commander of 1,200 cadets. He was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation and served four years as a weapons controller and radar inputs countermeasures officer in the U.S. Air Force. After transferring to the Air Force Reserve, he served as an admission liaison officer for the U.S. Air Force Academy and Air Force ROTC. He retired from active reserve status in 1988 with the rank of major and two commendation medals. He was one of five outstanding academy admission liaison officers in the United States.

In 1964, Mr. Duncan married Cheryl Ann Sherrod in Arkansas City, Kan. They have a daughter Cheri of Dayton and a son Scot of Minden. Beginning in 1970, Mr. Duncan worked as a commercial casualty underwriter with specialization in reinsurance, surplus lines and alternative risk transfer for insurance companies in Connecticut, Missouri, Illinois, and California. He was managing general underwriter and program manager for a general agency cofounded in Southern California before founding Innovative Insurance Solutions Inc. in Minden in 1994 as chief executive officer, president and chief underwriting officer.

Mr. Duncan was an active member of the Carson Valley Lions Club since 1995 where he served terms as treasurer, president, lion tamer and director. He received Lion of the Year awards in 2001 and 2007. He also was a trustee of the Advisory Council of the Lions Eye Foundation of California-Nevada, and served as Zone 1-C Chairman for Lions District 46. Mr. Duncan received the Abdul Award from the Lions Project for Canine Companions for Independence and is a Harry J. Aslan Fellow of the District 4 Student Speakers Foundation.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Denise Duncan.

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, grandchildren Ashlee, Taylor and Nanami, and twin brother F. Dee Duncan of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Memorial gifts may be made to either the Carson Valley Lions Club or to the Arkansas City Lions Club for the Ed Duncan Lions Park Fund in Arkansas City, Kan.