Jacquelyn Marie Duncan

Our beautiful mom Jacquelyn Marie Duncan-aka- “Jackie” and the loving wife to our dad, Dr. Matthew “Matt” Duncan, was flighted to heaven on March 7, 2023. What a beautiful journey these two-power couple of 59 years have had, recently celebrating their wedding anniversary on December 26th.  Throughout her celebration of life, Jackie will continue to be remembered in the present and not the past. Jackie, as many of her loved ones call her, is still here, listening and basking in the love we are showering with her today.  

Jackie’s journey on earth began on May 2, 1941. On this glorious day, God presented her with a list of tasks in a small city called Orange, Texas. As a daughter to Cleo “Mimi” Alexander and LeRoy, her first assignment was to take care of her parents and add to the love, joy, and emotional support that parents often need as they grow older. She ensured they had everything to make their life better and happier. Jackie became a big sister on October 11, 1942. Her adoring younger brother, Leroy J. Alexander Jr., often bragging that he protected her in high school from all the “boys” that wanted a date. Leroy, a jail sergeant in Laramie, Wyoming, was called to the Lord on 10/09/2000.  He was 57 years old.

Jackie was raised in church and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal savior at a very young age. Throughout her lifetime, Jackie worshiped at Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Jose, California, Antioch Baptist Church in San Jose, and Calvary Baptist in Los Gatos, California. Jackie truly loved attending church and always had taken her role as a servant for Christ seriously. She led by example and would regularly lead others to have a relationship with our Lord and Savior.

Jackie’s second assignment was to enroll in college, a dream that her mother wanted for her daughter. Her goal was to become a teacher and enroll at Texas Southern University (T.S.U.) in Houston. It was in 1958, her senior year, that she met her future husband, Dr. Matthew W. Duncan. This was the beginning of her journey as a girlfriend, fiancé, and wife. Matthew proposed to Jackie within six months and married that same year on December 26, 1964.

While at T.S.U, Jackie spent every day with her husband, studying countless hours together in the library. As a pair, both pledged a sorority and fraternity and were initiated into the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha. Jackie graduated from T.S.U. in 1962 and taught many classes at several schools in Houston, Texas before she began her journey with Matt.

On February 18, 1967, Jackie gave birth to their eldest daughter, Patrice.  Jackie loved being a housewife and mother and enjoyed hearing the stories of Matt’s field work. On May 8, 1971, they gave birth to their second child, Natasha. Jackie was quite busy with a 4-year-old and a newborn.  Jackie was one of a kind and made everything look so easy and never once complained. She remembered that caring and loving for another one of God’s children was her third assignment.

Jackie traveled the states with Matt to decide where they were going to live to not only set up her husband’s medical practice, yet where to raise their two small children. On February 13, 1978, they gave birth to Yolanda. While the kids were in school, Jackie devoted several years working as Matt’s office manager. However, assignment #4 was to devote her waking hours to their kids’ extensive extracurricular activities and schoolwork and she resigned from the office duties. She did not believe in hiring another person to care for their children. Jackie was a brownie troop leader, traveling to countless gymnastics meets, dance competitions, teacher’s assistant, room mother and spent hours and at times until 5:00 AM writing quizzes and tests to assess her kids’ competency on the assignments.  Jackie had a passion for shopping with girlfriends as she loved her clothes and fine accessories. In particular, she loved Chico’s in Santa Row and even those late Christmas shopping trips with her best friend, Dorothy Higgins. Jackie would always ask Dorothy, “Why do you like to wait until the last minute to do Christmas shopping?” It was amazing to see these two power ladies strolling through Valley Fair Mall all day and get it done in two days when it would take other weeks. Jackie had a love for cooking, especially southern food, and hosting others. Her favorite savory dishes were cornbread dressing, eggplant parmesan, gumbo, smothered pork chops and sweet potato pies.  Around Thanksgiving time, she often would fuss with our Godsister Kimmy’s husband Devon for that turkey neck. Devon knew to lay his hands off unless he wanted to hear it from Jackie. Every Christmas, she spread holiday joy singing, “Hallelujah.” Her angelic voice left a person speechless. She always laughed that none of her daughters could sing.

Jackie also had a love for horror films. Prior to Covid, Jackie would always ask Matt, “Hey, let’s go see this horror movie, the day it premiered. The scarier the better. Post Covid, movie night included watching The Walking Dead and Lifetime Movies. She often made recommendations to her daughters on a situation, or an event based on what she watched on Lifetime. And, the regular daytime shows always were Judge Judy and Family Feud. Let’s not forget her love for sports, especially the Golden State Warriors. Her two sons she claimed she never had was Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Her daughters knew not to call and chat when there were a sports team playing. If we called, she would say, “Hello, you only have a minute.”  Following was her love for the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford Cardinals.

Jackie had a love for travel, especially cruises, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada to play those slot machines. When it came to the cruises, Jackie loved being around 10,000 + people whereas Matt preferred 200 people at maximum. Traveling the world, approximately 10 cruises to the Caribbean, Paris, Russia, and Alaska) to name a few.  Jackie had to meet and talk to everyone on the cruise ships. She was not a quiet soul, having a foundation and love for everyone in the external world to a “shelter-place” when Covid-19 hit. 

Her assignment #5 was to continue to live the rich, loving life instilled by God, being a provider to her husband, both physically and emotionally. To maintain her connection to the outside world, she continued to financially give to St. Jude’s Hospital and the SPCA.  Jackie has taken care of more people than one can count. Routinely, she gave Christmas gifts to the mailman, gifts to her physicians and sending money to her mother’s friend in Beaumont that care for her when she was alive and continued to care for her when she passed in 2004.  Their neighbor who genuinely cared for Jackie and assisted her when she needed, recently asked the dad of his two small kids what they wanted for Easter.

Jackie was a “giver” and believed strongly in helping and giving back to others, no matter the sacrifice. Jackie left a positive impact in this world; one that we will never forget. Those of who were blessed to know Jackie, loved her smile, her laugh, her charm, her beauty, her care for others, her infectious laugh, her hard work, her elegance, her faithfulness, and her tenacity. Jackie was a woman of stature who was classy with her hugs sincere and her words encouraging. She had a big heart with no pretensions. She was sensitive and emotional with a passion for people. Jackie’s love for God and his family was enormous! 

Jackie completed all her assignment bestowed upon God. She never judged, never wavered and never asked for anything in return. She was always upbeat, laughed and made jokes. Jackie’s upbeat positive personality masked any pain she ever endured, that stripped her from getting out and doing the activities she enjoyed with her husband and family, socializing with friends, taking care of herself and her husband as well as her health and well-being. Jackie loved passionately and used her gifts and talents to contribute towards other’s success and was satisfied just knowing she made a difference. 

Jackie was preceded in death by her mother Cleo Bowman, father, LeRoy Alexander and her brother, Leroy J. Alexander Jr; Jackie leaves to cherish precious memories with her loving husband Matthew Duncan, three daughters Patrice Duncan, Natasha Green and Yolanda Hermanson, three grandchildren, Kobie, Aidan and Makai, son in laws, Thomas L Green II and Kevin Hermanson as well as a wealth of memories that will be cherished forever by her friends,  nieces, cousins and their families.

The family would like to thank her personal physicians and staff at Good Samaritan Hospital for their excellent care. Her life was enriched and extended because of their thoughtfulness and attention. The family grateful acknowledges the numerous acts of kindness and thoughtfulness show during the time of bereavement. We are appreciative of the visits, letters, cards, texts, phone calls, meals, flowers, monetary donations, prayers and support that you used to express your sympathy and love to us. We are forever grateful for being “loved well” by our many friends and loved ones. May God truly bless you and keep you always.

She completed her assignments and is now serving the Lord in Heaven.  Her lord said, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25.:23)

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

(Proverbs 31:29 NIV)

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