Patricia Kay “P. Kay” Duncan passed away from breast cancer on December 17, 2010 at home overlooking her horse stables and arena where she touched so many lives. P. Kay was born June 17, 1943 in Topeka, Kansas as the daughter of Phillip and Jean (Daneke) Ingersoll.
She was raised on a turkey farm in Michigan Valley, Kansas and attended First Grade through Eight Grade in Michigan Valley Schools and Overbrook Rural High School where she was involved in Glee Club, Mixed Chorus, Pep Club, and Cheerleading and served as a Future Homemakers of America Officer, Student Council Officer, and Yearbook Staff Assistant Editor, and was named Homecoming Queen. She was a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University, awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Education, was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, the 1963 Little American Royal Queen, the 1964 K-State Rodeo Queen, President of the Modern Dance Team, a member of the Chaparojos Rodeo Team, and a finalist for the 1962 Miss Kansas. In 1982, she earned her Masters of Science in Education Administration from Fort Hays State University. She then culminated her professional education in 1993 achieving the level of Doctor of Education with a degree conferred by the University of Kansas.
On November 26, 1966, despite his sense of humor, she was married to Don Duncan, her high school sweetheart at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Lapeer, Kansas. They then departed for the garden spot of Chapman, Kansas where they spent a blissful honeymoon week hunting pheasants.
One of P. Kay’s greatest lifelong passions was education. In 1965, she began her education career teaching French and Spanish at Luckey High School in Manhattan, Kansas. She then moved on to teach French, Spanish, and Debate at Baldwin High School in Baldwin, Kansas in 1966. In 1968 she began teaching French at Lawrence West High School in Lawrence, Kansas. She and Don then moved to Roswell, New Mexico in 1971 where P. Kay taught English as a Second Language at the Thiokol Chemical Indian School. In 1972, they moved to Great Bend, Kansas where she taught French and Spanish at Great Bend High School until 1974. After providing an expert head start to her children, she returned to the professional ranks of educators as a French adjunct professor at Barton County Community College. In 1983 she joined the lines of educational administrators as the Principal of St. Patrick’s School in Great Bend. P. Kay and Don’s next move was to Ottawa, Kansas in 1985, where P. Kay attained the position of Assistant Principal at South Junior High in Lawrence, Kansas transitioning to Principal in 1986. In 1990, she moved to the central office in Lawrence, serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for Unified School District 497. P. Kay then transitioned to the University Level in 1994 where she served as a Professor in the Emporia State University (ESU) Department of School Leadership as well as the Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals. During part of her tenure at ESU, she was the chairperson of the National Association of Elementary School Principal’s Board of Directors. In 2006 she “retired” to provide a superior early education to her two granddaughters and teach horseback riding to local youth.
Another lifelong passion of P. Kay’s was horses. Throughout her lifetime she has taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride horses either through saddle clubs, 4-H, or just personal interaction. Countless County Fair, State Fair, horse show, and rodeo prizes have been won by her, her family, and her students and even more happy memories generated. While living in Great Bend, P. Kay served as the President of the Western Kansas Horseman Association. She has even hosted multiple barrel racing events at her home.
P. Kay also poured her energy into her communities in other ways. For many years, she has served as a member of the Citizen’s Review Board for Children in Need of Care. She has also served on the ESU Student Athlete Advisory Committee and many other University committees. P. Kay participated in various 4-H horse activities, recently organizing ongoing training seminars for various types of riding events. She enjoyed attending ESU Women’s Basketball games and ESU theatre and drama productions. She spent many hours taking her grandchildren to the public library as well as planting and tending to her multiple indoor and outdoor plants. She enjoyed traveling all over the world with Don, friends, and her family. She also loved participating in the Roswell and Great Bend city theaters as well snow skiing with her friends and family.
P. Kay’s greatest passion was her family; one only had to speak to her once to know how much love and pride she had for them. She is survived by her husband, Don; her son, Heath Duncan and his wife Rachel of Oak Creek, Wisconsin; her daughter, Amanda Cunningham and her husband Rick of Emporia, Kansas; five grandchildren, Brenna, Garrett, Taylor, Brody, and Chance; her mother, Jean Ingersoll, of Topeka, Kansas; her sister, Sue Anderson and her husband Gaylord of Carbondale, Kansas; and her brother, Kerry Ingersoll and his wife LuAnn of Manhattan, Kansas.
P. Kay was preceded in death by her father, Phillip.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at the Emporia Presbyterian Church, West Campus. The family will be available for visitation immediately following the ceremony. Continuing her passion for teaching, P.Kay has bequeathed her body to the Kansas University School of Medicine to help further their training and cancer research.
The family has established a memorial fund for the Lyon County 4-H Horse Program and donations can be made through the funeral home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Patricia "P. Kay" Kay Duncan, please visit our flower store.
She was raised on a turkey farm in Michigan Valley, Kansas and attended First Grade through Eight Grade in Michigan Valley Schools and Overbrook Rural High School where she was involved in Glee Club, Mixed Chorus, Pep Club, and Cheerleading and served as a Future Homemakers of America Officer, Student Council Officer, and Yearbook Staff Assistant Editor, and was named Homecoming Queen. She was a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University, awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Education, was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, the 1963 Little American Royal Queen, the 1964 K-State Rodeo Queen, President of the Modern Dance Team, a member of the Chaparojos Rodeo Team, and a finalist for the 1962 Miss Kansas. In 1982, she earned her Masters of Science in Education Administration from Fort Hays State University. She then culminated her professional education in 1993 achieving the level of Doctor of Education with a degree conferred by the University of Kansas.
On November 26, 1966, despite his sense of humor, she was married to Don Duncan, her high school sweetheart at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Lapeer, Kansas. They then departed for the garden spot of Chapman, Kansas where they spent a blissful honeymoon week hunting pheasants.
One of P. Kay’s greatest lifelong passions was education. In 1965, she began her education career teaching French and Spanish at Luckey High School in Manhattan, Kansas. She then moved on to teach French, Spanish, and Debate at Baldwin High School in Baldwin, Kansas in 1966. In 1968 she began teaching French at Lawrence West High School in Lawrence, Kansas. She and Don then moved to Roswell, New Mexico in 1971 where P. Kay taught English as a Second Language at the Thiokol Chemical Indian School. In 1972, they moved to Great Bend, Kansas where she taught French and Spanish at Great Bend High School until 1974. After providing an expert head start to her children, she returned to the professional ranks of educators as a French adjunct professor at Barton County Community College. In 1983 she joined the lines of educational administrators as the Principal of St. Patrick’s School in Great Bend. P. Kay and Don’s next move was to Ottawa, Kansas in 1985, where P. Kay attained the position of Assistant Principal at South Junior High in Lawrence, Kansas transitioning to Principal in 1986. In 1990, she moved to the central office in Lawrence, serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for Unified School District 497. P. Kay then transitioned to the University Level in 1994 where she served as a Professor in the Emporia State University (ESU) Department of School Leadership as well as the Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals. During part of her tenure at ESU, she was the chairperson of the National Association of Elementary School Principal’s Board of Directors. In 2006 she “retired” to provide a superior early education to her two granddaughters and teach horseback riding to local youth.
Another lifelong passion of P. Kay’s was horses. Throughout her lifetime she has taught hundreds of children and adults how to ride horses either through saddle clubs, 4-H, or just personal interaction. Countless County Fair, State Fair, horse show, and rodeo prizes have been won by her, her family, and her students and even more happy memories generated. While living in Great Bend, P. Kay served as the President of the Western Kansas Horseman Association. She has even hosted multiple barrel racing events at her home.
P. Kay also poured her energy into her communities in other ways. For many years, she has served as a member of the Citizen’s Review Board for Children in Need of Care. She has also served on the ESU Student Athlete Advisory Committee and many other University committees. P. Kay participated in various 4-H horse activities, recently organizing ongoing training seminars for various types of riding events. She enjoyed attending ESU Women’s Basketball games and ESU theatre and drama productions. She spent many hours taking her grandchildren to the public library as well as planting and tending to her multiple indoor and outdoor plants. She enjoyed traveling all over the world with Don, friends, and her family. She also loved participating in the Roswell and Great Bend city theaters as well snow skiing with her friends and family.
P. Kay’s greatest passion was her family; one only had to speak to her once to know how much love and pride she had for them. She is survived by her husband, Don; her son, Heath Duncan and his wife Rachel of Oak Creek, Wisconsin; her daughter, Amanda Cunningham and her husband Rick of Emporia, Kansas; five grandchildren, Brenna, Garrett, Taylor, Brody, and Chance; her mother, Jean Ingersoll, of Topeka, Kansas; her sister, Sue Anderson and her husband Gaylord of Carbondale, Kansas; and her brother, Kerry Ingersoll and his wife LuAnn of Manhattan, Kansas.
P. Kay was preceded in death by her father, Phillip.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at the Emporia Presbyterian Church, West Campus. The family will be available for visitation immediately following the ceremony. Continuing her passion for teaching, P.Kay has bequeathed her body to the Kansas University School of Medicine to help further their training and cancer research.
The family has established a memorial fund for the Lyon County 4-H Horse Program and donations can be made through the funeral home. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Patricia "P. Kay" Kay Duncan, please visit our flower store.
Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors