Peter R. Duncan Jr.

Peter R. Duncan, Jr., 52, passed away suddenly in his home in East Montpelier, Vermont. He was the son of the late Peter and Ellen (Carew) Duncan.

Born in Danvers on July 29, 1972, Peter was the youngest of five and nearly made his debut in the elevator at Hunt Hospital, as his mother, a veteran of childbirth, thought it would be a great idea to vacuum the house one last time while in labor. This might have been the first and last time that he was ever in a hurry to do anything.

He was promptly nicknamed Dudley Do Right by his father, who realized early on that his youngest child had the uncanny ability to always land on his feet, whether it was falling from heights or sliding under a neighbor’s car on his Big Wheel at speed, traumatizing both the neighbor and his mother, who thought that both of his legs were broken, until they realized that his shoes were on the wrong feet.

The Director of Product Management at LiveData, Inc., Peter was raised and educated in Danvers. A natural athlete, he played youth hockey, soccer and baseball. He continued playing hockey at St. John’s Prep, graduating in 1990, went on to Northfield Mount Herman for a post-graduate year (read: to play hockey) and received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from University of Vermont in 1997 on the 5-year plan.

After a quick residence for a position in Utah (read: to ski), Peter ultimately settled back in Vermont, where he continued to pursue his love for sports and the outdoors. The only place he loved more than the beach was the mountains and he held ski passes for nearly all the slopes in the Northeast.

He never met a sport or outdoor/physical activity that he didn’t like, including mountain biking, yoga, running, designing his own home gym, and if a survey of his sporting equipment collection is any indication, he may have had a recent foray into pickleball.

Hockey continued to be a passion throughout his life. He enjoyed trips with his hockey club team to Canada and beyond, as well as coaching varsity boys’ hockey at Stowe High School since 2015.

An avid golfer, he loved golfing trips with his friends as well as coaching young players. He was the 2024 winner of the annual Muddler Cup, which moving forward will be known as the “Duddler Cup”. (They will get the jacket and the trophy back as soon as we have that in writing).

Peter loved good food, good wine, and good conversation. He enjoyed cooking as much as eating, and had recently mastered the preparation of Beef Wellington, much to his family’s delight and his iterations of his mother’s Christmas potatoes were legendary.

Peter had a wide array of friend groups, from childhood buddies, teammates, coworkers, and friends he met along the way. Most would characterize him as a “loveable curmudgeon”, and at times he seemed to be at odds with the universe, (or at least with parking enforcement, as he seemed to have kept every parking ticket he ever accrued), but as his father would say, he always landed on his feet, usually with a smirk on his face. His sense of humor was epic, and snark was his love language. If he levelled a well-timed verbal slapshot in your direction, you knew you were seen and loved. A raised eyebrow and a snort of laughter was his signature. He looked forward to any opportunity to spend time with his immediate and extended family, enjoying many laughs and good times, and he will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his sisters, Susan Duncan and her husband, Greg Foster of Danvers and Sarah Corcoran of Salem and his brother Christopher Duncan of San Diego, CA, his loving nieces and nephews, Shauna Scyzgial and her husband Ryan of Laconia, NH, Duncan Lawrence of Dorchester, Devin Lawrence of Danvers and Lila Duncan of San Diego, CA, his aunt Martha Duncan of Cape Elizabeth, ME, his brother from another mother Kevin Smith and his wife Shelley and their boys, Grady, Connor and Cameron of Beverly and his extended family, Jenny and Adam Churchill and their children Bryn and Brigid of Danvers and Suzanne Cahill and Matthew Churchill and their children, Una and Finn of Wenham and Riley Turner of Maine. He was predeceased by his sister Stephanie Lawrence.

His visitation will take place from 2-5PM on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers. His Funeral Service will be held at 10AM on Monday, March 10, 2025 in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Annunciation Cemetery, Danvers. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Peter’s memory to the Stowe High School Hockey or Golf Team, Attn: Tim Albertson, 413 Barrows Road, Stowe, VT, 05672.