Donald (“Don”) was born on April 24th, 1929, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Gladys (“Glad”) was born on January 22nd, 1929, also in Edmonton. They met in high school and married after graduation. They raised a family and lived in So. California for over 50 years.
Don recently passed away after being widowed when Gladys passed a dozen years before him.
Both Don and Glad enjoyed traveling. They took up their RV life together when joining a Good Sams club and were members of the “Sams Radio Hams” Chapter.
They joined the group and traveled with them for many years. It was through this group that the Duncan’s were introduced to Dogs for Better Lives (DBL) – known as Dogs for the Deaf at that time.
They were able to take a tour of the national service dog campus in Central Point, OR in 2002. That’s when the Duncans made their first gift. The Duncan’s never forgot the mission they learned about that day and continued to make subsequent gifts for many years.
Don and Glad fell in love with the mission of DBL and became champions for DBL by coordinating fund raising events to help enhance the program and the number of people that could be helped.
Don with Mazzie
When Glad passed, Don found a little companion through the adoption program he had learned about from their visit to DBL. He reached out to DBL and found a little Terrier mix named Mazzie. We were thrilled to know that one of our long-time partners wanted to adopt a Career Change Dog – a dog that did not have the health or temperament to become a fully trained and certified service dog.
Soon, Don was approved and successful in adopting Mazzie as his own. She found her furr-ever home and Don found a loyal and loving companion. The perfect match!
“Mazzie was such a blessing to our dad – she brought him so much joy, every day. We are thankful for the mission of DBL and for all the smiles and laughter that Mazzie created for our dad,” said Don’s family.
When Don passed away, DBL received notice that we would be the recipient of his final and very thoughtful gift – a Bequest.
We are sad to learn of Don and Glad’s passing, yet we feel their joy and appreciation for a meaningful relationship spanning over 24 years.
The Duncan’s gift will help to create a better life for someone in this world that will never have a chance to thank them. It is a legacy of the generosity that the Duncan’s lived out, rolling down the highways enjoying life and blessing others. Thank you, Don and Glad – DBL, Mazzie and many others, are better for knowing you.
If you would like more information on legacy gift options, please contact Wanda at 541-423-8385 or email wanda@dogsforbetterlives.org.
