Elbert "Buzz" V. Duncan

Elbert Vincent Duncan “Buzz”, beloved husband, father, and Pa, ascended to heaven on March 22, 2023, after a 24-year battle with Parkinson’s.  He is survived by his loving wife of almost 55 years, Sandra Lee Duncan, his daughter, Sunny (Tim) Austin, and the light of his world, his granddaughter, Sierra Elizabeth.  We know his mom, his dad, his brother, and his friends Woody, Ruth, Bob, and Kay are welcoming him in heaven with open arms.

On September 10, 1942, Buzz was born in Gary, Indiana.  He got his nickname from his mom, as he was always buzzing around getting into trouble.  He showed off his engineering prowess at just 2 years old by removing all the cabinet and drawer pulls in their kitchen with a screwdriver.  He continued to have the heart of an engineer his entire life.

Buzz met his wife, Sandra, when, as secretary of the homecoming committee, she came to measure the TKE float he was building at Western Michigan University. They had endless adventures in their almost 55 years together.  Did you know they rode their motorcycles all the way to Mexico from Indiana?  They came home with only a dime to their names.

He could build anything and often did.  If you have a piece of furniture that he made, you are blessed and lucky to have an heirloom piece you will cherish forever.  His skill at building made him a regular at Home Depot.  Don’t worry – we’ve let them know they are going to see a dip in sales!

Sailing was another passion Buzz enjoyed.  He customized three separate Hunter sailboats in his life, naming them all after his daughter – Sunny D.  One of his favorite things was having his friends on board to teach them to sail.

Buzz’s legacy will be celebrated on April 1, 2023, from 1:00pm – 3:30pm at Little Italy Ristorante (1155 Joliet St, Dyer, IN 46311).  A small ceremony will happen at 2:30pm, followed by an open time to tell any stories guests have of him.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in Buzz’s name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org).

Arrangements entrusted to Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, 622 S. Burdick St, Kalamazoo MI 49007. To view Buzz’s personalized web page, please visit https://www.langelands.com