Duncan graduated from Holmes Agricultural High School in 1945. After high school, he studied at Holmes Community College, Georgia Tech University, the University of Maryland, and Texas A&M University. He enlisted in the Navy in 1948 at age 20 and started serving in the Army in 1952. He served at home and abroad. His overseas posts included Germany, Turkey, and Asmara, Ethiopia. He was one of the first members of NSA and also served in the ASA. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1970 after 22 years of service to his country. He met the love of his life, Vee Smith, when she was assigned as a private duty nurse to his mother at Baptist Hospital in Jackson, MS. They were married November 9, 1957 in Richmond, VA. They were happily married for nearly 58 years, until Vee passed away.
After their marriage, they moved to College Station so that he could complete his undergraduate degree. He was a proud member of the Texas A&M Class of 1961. However, due to his military commitments, he was not able to finish his degree until after retirement. When he retired, he moved his family back to College Station so that he could finish his degree and obtain his master’s degree in Educational Curriculum and Instruction. He then began his career as a teacher – first teaching math at the junior high level and later at Blinn College. After retiring from teaching, he enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and the world. He particularly enjoyed his trips to Hawaii with friends and family, having visited more than 25 times! He attended as many Aggie baseball and football games as he could, having season tickets to both sports for more than 25 years.
He took great delight in his two grandchildren, and attended most of their activities as they were growing up. He was a great story teller, and loved talking about some of the interesting people and adventures he had in his life. He was an avid collector of antique telephones, and enjoyed restoring them to their original working order. Some of his telephones are displayed in museums. He was an Amateur Radio Operator, and enjoyed talking to people all over the world before cell phones were invented.
He enjoyed breakfast at the Kettle restaurant every morning – even if he had already eaten breakfast at home. He enjoyed seeing the Constables, his friends, and most importantly, the servers who were so kind to him.
He was a member of First Baptist Church in College Station, and served as a Deacon there.
Duncan was preceded in death by his parents, Duncan Noel Covington and Anna Jones Covington; his sister Christine Vianna Covington, and his brother James Howard Covington. He is survived by his daughter, Rebecca Christine Covington Miller and son-in-law, Leroy V. Miller of Katy, TX; grandchildren, Anna Miller and Lee Miller of Katy, TX; brother Noel Jones Covington, Sr. of Attala County, MS; nephew Noel Jones Covington, Jr. and wife Terri of Lafayette, LA; nieces Cindy West and husband Eric of Roswell, GA and Kathryn LaCombe and husband David of New Windsor, NY; numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.
A visitation will be held at Memorial Funeral Chapel, 2901 Texas Avenue South, College Station, TX on Thursday, December 19, 2019 from 5-7pm. Funeral and burial will be at Seneasha Cemetery, Attala County, MS in January 2020.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Shrock Methodist Church, PO Box 246, Goodman, MS 39079.
