Lawrence O. Duncan, 86, of 1428 Sunny Ave, passed away peacefully at his residence on Wednesday morning, Dec. 30, 2009.

Born on June 9, 1923 in New Castle, he was a son of the late James G. and Mattie Smiley Duncan.

He married the former Dorothy Louise Jenkins on May 27, 1972. She survives. His first wife, Marge Williamson, whom he married in 1943, passed away in 1972.

Larry was a dispatcher in the Army during World War II from Feb. 13, 1943 to Jan. 21, 1946, serving in Central Europe and Rhineland. He received The American Campaign medal, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Good Conduct medal and the WW II Victory medal.

Larry retired in 1997 from the Operating Engineers Local 66 after 50 years of service. He was a member of New Castle VFW Post 315, the Eagles, the Greater Beneficial Union and the South Hill Athletic Association.

He was a member of Mary, Mother of Hope Parish, St. Mary Church.

In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, Donna Jean Kovacs, and her husband Kenneth, of Lakeland, Fla.; a stepdaughter, Emma Ferguson and her husband, Charles “Bill”, of New Castle; two step-sons, Fred Gardner and his wife, Marge, and Joe Gardner and his wife, Sharon, both of New Castle; a step-daughter-in-law, Pamela Gardner, of Pulaski; a sister, Elsie D’Aurio, of New Castle; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and first wife, he was preceded in death by two stepsons, Eugene “Butch” Gardner and Francis “Fritz” Gardner; four sisters, Bertha Esposito, Esther Henry, Velma Cunningham and Florence Duncan; and three brothers, Clifford, Kenneth and James Duncan.

Calling hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 111 W. Falls St. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. tomorrow at St. Mary Church conducted by the Rev. Victor J. Molka Jr.

Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, where full military rites will be conducted by the New Castle Area Veterans Honor Guard.

Friends and family may e-mail condolences to McGonigleFuneralHomeandCrematory.com.

Please sign the guestbook at www.legacy.com/ncnewsonline/Obituaries.asp.