Retired Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Joe D. Duncan passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 20 in Farragut. He was 100 years old.
In 1990, Judge Duncan retired from the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. He was elected to the post by Governor Winfield Dunn, in 1975. Prior to his appointment, Judge Duncan was elected to the bench as the Criminal Court Judge for Knox County in 1966, where he served for nine years.
Before his judicial career, Judge Duncan practiced law with Ray Ford, from 1957 – 1966, and at Duncan & Duncan with his older brother, John J. Duncan, Sr., from 1949 – 1950 and 1953 – 1957. Judge Duncan left the law firm in 1950 for a three-year assignment as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Upon returning from the FBI, Judge Duncan joined the Fountain City post of the American Legion then the Knoxville post, holding the local, district and division offices. In 1963 he was elected state commander of the American Legion in Tennessee, making Joe and his brother, John, the only two brothers in the United States that both served as Department Commanders of the American Legion.
Judge Duncan was born on Feb. 11, 1924. He grew up on a farm in Scott County, Tenn. He enlisted in the United States Army and transferred to the Air Force, where he served as a navigator during World War II, from 1943 – 1945. By the war’s end, he reached the ranking of 2nd Lieutenant.
Judge Duncan returned home to Knoxville, following the war, where he married his lifelong friend and childhood sweetheart, Lou. Duncan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his LLM degree from the UT College of Law.
Judge Duncan is survived by his son, Philip David Duncan; daughter-in-law, Leslie Ann Duncan; grandchildren Meredyth Phillips Duncan and Tyler Witte Duncan, all of Falls Church, Va.; special nephew Jason Mitchell Phillips, of Knoxville; and a host of other nieces, nephews and cousins in the Phillips and Duncan families. He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Lou Etta (Lou) Phillips Duncan, who passed away in April 2017.
Visitation & Service:
The family will receive friends on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., at Rose Mortuary, located at 6200 Kingston Pike in Knoxville. A funeral service will immediately follow the visitation.
Graveside services, which will include a military service, are set for Friday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. Family and friends will depart from Rose Mortuary, at 11:30 a.m., with an escort to the Duncan Family Cemetery, located at 709 Baker Highway in Huntsville, Tenn. Due to potential congestion on I-75 North, those attending are encouraged to join the caravan to Scott County.
In Memory Contributions:
If you would like to contribute to the Duncan Family Cemetery, please mail your contribution to Jodi Naderhoff at 5255 Hampton Lane, Columbus, OH 43220, or via Venmo at: [DuncanFamilyCemetery](https://venmo.com/u/DuncanFamilyCemetary).
You may also donate to the Cassie Duncan Education Fund, c/o Phil Duncan, 214 S. West Street, Falls Church, VA 22046. The fund awards an annual scholarship to one Scott County student seeking a career in education.
