Granby Living August2019

Whitney, and this is where he met his wife,
Marian, who was working in the office of the
director of quality control. They were married
in 1967.
“And then we left Connecticut — never to
return!” jokes Duncan. Actually, the couple
was only in Nebraska for two years, where
Duncan worked for Cargill Inc. They moved
back to Connecticut when Duncan took a
job with Traveler’s Insurance and bought a
home in Colchester. Marian grew up in Willington,
so Connecticut was home for her.
In 1973, Duncan earned an MBA from
UConn, with a focus in marketing. His next job
was with Combustion Engineering in Windsor,
via his work with the Navy Reserve. “Opportunities
most often come about from working
hard and doing well at whatever you are doing,”
explains Duncan.
After 18 years with Combustion Engineering,
Duncan started his own company, POND
Associates, which provided soft-skills training,
such as facilitation, meeting management and
team building. He retired around 2013.
Marian jokes that the word “retired” isn’t
quite right, given the degree to which her
husband continues to work, primarily his significant
volunteer role with the U.S. Naval Sea
Cadet Corps (USNSCC).
The USNSCC is described on its website
as a “national youth leadership development
organization that promotes interest and skill in
naval disciplines, while instilling strong moral
character and life skills through leadership and
technical programs.”
In 1978, Duncan became the USNSCC
training officer at the Hartford Navy Reserve,
and then the executive director. Within four
months he was appointed commanding officer.
In 1990, when Duncan retired from the
reserves, he remained involved in the USNSCC
foreign exchange program. Duncan became so
enmeshed in this program that the reserves
reactivated him in 2006 and named him
deputy director of the Sea Cadet International
Exchange Program, which includes 20
countries and offers an annual conference
that has provided Duncan and Marian with
travel opportunities worldwide.
Including four years of active duty with the
Navy Reserve, Duncan served for 28 years —
14 on a volunteer basis.
Duncan is something of a professional
volunteer, as evidenced by a two-page resume
describing the many ways he’s enjoyed giving
back over his lifetime. Regarding his
volunteerism in Granby, Duncan starts “way
back to the 1980s,” when he was committee
chairman for Cub Scout Pack 325. “Our boys
were both really involved.”
Duncan and Marian have two sons, born
in 1970 and 1975. Today, they enjoy their
two grandchildren, ages 12 and 15, although
Marian laments that they live “too far away”
in Vermont.
From 2000-14, Duncan was president of
the Granby Library Association. Duncan and
Marian have both been volunteers with the
Durable Medical Equipment Loaner Closet
Duncan, at right, in the Pacific with
the Navy Reserve, 1964
for a handful of years. And since 2017, Duncan
has been the leader of the Granby Men’s
Breakfast. He has also been heavily involved
in First Church for many years, including
roles in finance, stewardship and the choir.
“He fits all of this volunteering around
his Sea Cadets work,” says Marian. “And he
shows no signs of letting up. He loves it.”
Duncan adds, “Granby is a volunteer kind
of place. So many people in this town thrive
on the opportunity to give back. I’m just one
of many.”
Sarah Merrill is a personal historian with Merrill
Memoirs, based in Granby. She works with individuals
and families to capture and record their personal
memoirs and family histories. Visit her website at
www.memoirsbymerrill.com
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