Alan Duncan

Alan Duncan was a man for whom actions would speak louder than words. His life motto might well have been “if it isn’t logical, it’s not important.” The qualities of being fair, just and the ability to recognize what was right were clearly driving forces in Alan’s life. He was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied. He was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Alan was modest in his actions and extremely literal in his thoughts and in the manner in which he communicated with others. When Alan said something, he meant it. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.      Alan was born on July 11, 1959 at Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Ireland. His parents were John and Joan Duncan. Alan was raised in Oshawa, Ontario. Even as a small child, Alan wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As Alan grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, he treated everyone around him the same way. This belief in fair play served Alan well throughout his life and despite his natural shyness; he enjoyed a solid group of friends.      Since Alan sought to treat those around him with respect, he often found himself in the role of playing peacemaker within his family. He was comfortable in working through the types of sibling rivalry situations that quite often occur, because he loved the challenge of conflict resolution. He would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Alan was raised with two siblings. He had two younger sisters, Karen and Tanya. Alan was constantly involved in activities with his siblings. Alan and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they shared many life experiences.      During his childhood, family and friends viewed Alan as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. In fact, he was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Alan’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide. He took part in tennis and bicycling. He was a scout. In his spare time he liked to experiment with his chemistry kit.      The fact that he was curious was an asset to Alan while he was in school. He possessed strong study skills and good concentration. He relished the task of scrutinizing problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them. Alan enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of problem solving that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. Experience was Alan’s best teacher. He graduated from Donevan High School in 1979. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favourite class in high school was chemistry.      Those who didn’t know Alan well might have thought him to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to him knew that he was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Alan’s good friends tended to be “thinkers” like himself. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Alan liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. Alan was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding his true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. Another quality that people admired in Alan was his ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in his assessment of any new situation. While growing up, some of his best friends were John Patrick, Joe Nichols and Rick Nizio.       As the family grew, Alan was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Alan was blessed with two children, two sons, Bradley and Shawn. Alan was never impulsive in dealing with family problems. Instead, he would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner. Alan was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved. At the same time, Alan’s inventive nature could turn some of the boring old household chores into a fun activity for the family.      In his work life, Alan was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. He excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, and once he understood exactly why he was working on a project, he could plow full steam ahead. For Alan, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant to him in appreciating its importance. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, Alan was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and he would readily use them if they improved the process. His primary occupation was as a factory worker. He was employed for 26 years by Lear Corporation. Alan always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.      Alan’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced his choice of leisure pursuits as well. He applied his strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to his choice of activities. He particularly enjoyed the “alone” time his hobbies provided. His favorite pursuits were video games, music and computers. Alan was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.      Alan was an asset to any organization he joined. In many ways, he was a man of action who would rather tackle a job than spend time chatting about irrelevant things. He worked well on small committees and excelled at focusing on the important details without getting bogged down by the unnecessary parts of an assignment. In high school, Alan was a member of the Chess Club.      Alan appreciated the occasions when he was able to travel and get away on a vacation. He enjoyed learning about different locales and was open to exploring new and different places. Favourite vacations included Clearwater, Florida. He thoroughly enjoyed the task of gathering and analyzing travel information as he prepared for an upcoming trip.      Alan was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Alan’s favourites were Luke, a German Shepherd and Raf and Mindy, Dobermans. They were friends for many years.      Alan passed away on January 28, 2010 at home in Oshawa, Ontario from and unexpected heart attack. He is survived by his mother Joan, sisters Karen and Tanya sons, Bradley and Shawn. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home Chapel.      Alan strongly believed that talk is cheap. He was the type of person who would show others his feelings through his actions. He was practical and realistic but was able to be flexible when the need arose. He had a curiosity about the things around him and tried to experience life directly rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences he treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. Alan Duncan will be greatly missed.