Sarah Duncan

Obituary for Sarah Bartlett (Sally) Duncan
Sarah B Duncan (Sally) age 95 died peacefully on February 25, 2020. She was born June 13, 1924 in Berea Kentucky to Earnest and Ruby (Couser) Bartlett. She was one of four children, all who predeceased her, brothers Charles and Robert, and a sister, Katherine Marsden. Her early years were spent in Kentucky, Florida, settling in Bennington Vermont, where she graduated from high school in 1941. She attended Syracuse University during the war years, graduating in 1946.
She moved to Washington DC for a job at the Dept. of Agriculture in Beltsville MD. She met and after a 9 month courtship married Jack Duncan (Oct 26, 1946). They were married 39 years until Jack’s death in 1985. They had 5 children, Katherine, Robert, William, Thomas (deceased) and Carol. They lived in Washington DC, Hyattsville, and Beltsville and then moved to Wheaton MD in 1952. Her final years (2003-2020) were spent in Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg MD. She was a lifetime Christian educator, starting with teaching Sunday school and eventually attending Wesley Theological Seminary where she earned a Masters of Religious Education in 1983 and a Masters of Divinity in 1988. She was a founding member of Wheaton Presbyterian Church, active in the National Capital Presbytery and its Educator’s ministry.
In addition to Sally’s love of family and friends she had a love for adventure, nature and the outdoors. Starting with a girl’s only canoe trip through the Adirondacks after college, and then family camping trips, and church group trips to Israel, Japan & Korea, RV’ing with her brother and two years in Sitka AK as a volunteer at Sheldon Jackson College. Always the teacher and lover of history, she worked as a docent at the Smithsonian into her 80’s. Other loves included travel, gardening and quilting.
She will be remembered by her children, Katherine Gordon (Wesley), Robert (Alaine), William (Catherine) and Carol Hinderliter (Robert), her grandchildren, Ryan Gordon (Angela), Jennifer Holderbaum (Chad), William (Jessica), Alison Duncan, Laura Broderick (Evan), Rachael Holmes (Zach), her great grandchildren, Martin, Sam and Jack Gordon, Andrew Holderbaum, Stanley-Jack and Charlie King-Duncan and Patricia and Madison Holmes.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to National Capital Presbytery, 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 408 Rockville, MD 20852 and in the memo line indicate Educators Fund S. Duncan. A memorial service will be held at a later date.