Obituary of William F. Duncanson

He was born in New York City on October 15, 1925, the son of the late William F. and Rita McCarthy Duncanson. A 1943 graduate of George Washington High School, Bill served in the U.S. Navy Seabees from 1943 to 1946 and participated in the re-occupation of Guam. In 1950, he graduated from St. Peters College in New York where he was a member of the Order of the Gold Keys Honor Society and in 1954 received his Juris Doctor Degree from Fordham University Law School. An area resident since 1966, he first served as general counsel for the former Jamestown Mutual Insurance Co. Bill later entered private practice with Lucien Lodestro and practiced law locally for over 40 years. Following his election in 1985, he also served as Justice for the Town of Gerry until his retirement in 2008. Bill was a communicant of St. Mary of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bemus Point. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ann Toner Duncanson whom he married June 18, 1949 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in New York City. Also surviving are five children: Gregory (Patty) Duncanson of Jamestown, Mark Duncanson of West Ellicott, William F. (Sandra) Duncanson Jr. of Bemus Point, James (Emma) Duncanson of Gerry and Ann (Kenneth) Crossley of Bemus Point; eleven grandchildren: Matthew and Michael Duncanson, Lillian Scholeno, William F. Duncanson V, Elizabeth, Alexander, James and Emilia Duncanson and Sara, Patrick and Clare Crossley; and a sister, Florence (Leonard) Ciccone of Newark, DE. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Rita Steinberg of Tucson, AZ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary of Lourdes Church. The Rev. John L. Kuhlmann will be celebrant. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Lind Funeral Home, where a Christian Wake Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to Covenant House (for Homeless and At-Risk Children), 460 W. 41st St., New York, NY 10036; or the Chautauqua County Humane Society, 2825 Strunk Road, Jamestown, NY 14701.