Lawrence "Larry" Dale Duncan

Lawrence “Larry” Dale Duncan, 74, of Barnett, Missouri passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at the Good Shepherd Care Center, in Versailles, MO. Larry was born on August 5, 1937 in rural St. George, Kansas the son of Floyd Nathan and Helen Marie (Harrell) Duncan. He grew up in the St. George area graduating from St. George High School in 1957. He talked of his high school highlights as playing 8-man football and basketball. After high school Larry joined the U. S. Army where he served until his discharge at Aberdeen, MD. After the military he returned home to join the plumber’s apprenticeship program in Manhattan, KS. He later moved to the St. Louis, MO area and was united in marriage to Raylene Stairs in Florissant, Missouri, they later divorced. Larry made his home in St. Charles, MO for most of his working career, where he worked as a Plumber and Pipefitter with Local 562 in St. Louis, MO. He also owned his own plumbing business for a period of time in the 1980’s. Larry worked as a union plumber for more than 35 years before his retirement in the mid 1990’s, and worked on projects across Missouri and Kansas. Following his retirement he built his own home at the Lake of the Ozark’s where he lived until his passing. Larry was a founding member of the local Antique Tractor Club and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He loved restoring Allis Chalmers Tractors and farm implements and was a hobbyist mechanic. He was a lifelong avid K-State football and basketball fan. Larry is survived by two brothers: Floyd E. Duncan and his wife Ruby, of Kuna, Idaho and their family and Harrell Dean Duncan, of Minneapolis, Minnesota and his family; one sister: Lois JoAnn Eller of Eskridge, KS and a niece: Deborah Trudo-Owen and husband Bob and her family of Pittsburgh, PA and a nephew: Ed Eller and wife Heather, and his family, of Topeka, KS. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister: Helen Daneen Newell; one sister in-law: Jan Duncan and two brother’s in-law: Raymond Eller, and George Newell. Larry is fondly remembered and loved by a host of friends whose lives he touched in many ways. Larry was a friend to all, charitable and kind. He was always available to help a person in need, helping to reroof a house, fixing a plumbing emergency on a holiday weekend, filling sand bags in the 1993 flood or lending a strong helping hand for a cross country move. He was a Great Uncle, always the cool guy, with a wry sense of humor and a contagious smile. Finally, Larry was a kind and loving caretaker for his dog Cindy, who will miss him dearly. Funeral services for Larry will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 10, 2012 at the Stewart Funeral Home, Wamego. Burial will follow at the St. George Cemetery. A visitation with family will be held prior to the funeral beginning at 9:00 a.m. until service time on Thursday. Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Basic Cancer Research at Kansas State University or the American Diabetes Association and may be left in care of the Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.