D. Garth Duncan

July 31, 1925 - Dec. 2, 2020

Resident of San Jose

D. Garth Duncan always said he wanted to die being chased out the top story window by a jealous husband. Unfortunately, he passed much more peacefully on Dec. 2, 2020. Garth was born to a Mormon farming family of Pioneer stock in Fremont, Utah, July 31, 1925. As a child of the Great Depression, his father moved the family to Washington state in the hopes of a better future. There, he and his two brothers and one sister continued the rough and tumble farming life. A life where sibling scuffles resulted in dinner forks being stuck into shoulders. In that case, it was Garth who stuck the fork into his brother Neff’s shoulder. He graduated Washougal High School in 1943 and soon thereafter joined the Army at the start of WWII at only 17-yearsold. He was trained in Hawaii how to use a rifle and a flamethrower for 3 weeks before being shipped to Leyte in the Philippines to fight the Japanese. One year into combat service he was seriously injured by a knee mortar. He was loaded into a Medic Jeep and driven out of the jungle while being shot at by Japanese Zeros flying above. After being awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, he returned to Washington state where he started his career as a grocery produce manager. That career brought him to San Jose in the early 1960’s where he spent the rest of his life. Late in his career he fell in love with rocks and lapidary which became somewhat of a second career. He was cutting rocks and making jewelry well into his 80’s. Garth was married for over 50 years. Those years were spread between 5 different wives who all grew weary of his wonderful jokes that his children and grandchildren could never get enough of. He lived a full, adventurous and honest life. He was kind, funny, endlessly optimistic and approached life with a carefree attitude that is to be coveted. He is survived by his son Kim Garth Duncan, grandkids and great-grandkids. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten.