George Michael Duggan

George Michael Duggan, age 77, passed away at home on August 4th, 2020. Born on February 8, 1943, in Warsaw, New York, he was the son of Clifford Orne Duggan and Ethel Broadbooks Duggan.

George is survived by his wife of 46 years, Lucretia Duke Duggan of Durham, NC; his children Adam Veasey Duggan and daughter-in-law Laura Schutz Duggan of Apex, NC, George Miles Duggan of Durham, NC, Debra Ann Duggan of Durham, NC, Lindsay Duggan and son-in-law Christopher Fuller of Swarthmore, PA, his brothers John Robert Duggan of Rochester, NY, and David Arther Duggan of Buffalo, NY, and five grandchildren that he was very fond of.

George grew up in Utica, New York. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in Civil Engineering. He received his Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Washington University of St. Louis. He went to work for the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, DC but moved to Durham, NC in 1973 to work at the Environmental Protection Agency facility in Research Triangle Park.

George pursued a lifelong career as a commissioned officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, where he achieved the rank of Commander. He spent the majority of this time working for the EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning Standards as a Systems Analyst. While working there, he pioneered the use of computers to enable data modeling and to speed up the analysis of massive quantities of data. His work was a part of the Human Exposure Model, which played a critical role in evaluating potentially toxic air pollutants for regulation under the Clean Air Act. His career spanned a huge change in technology, as he began when computers ran on punch cards and filled entire buildings. He loved programming computers throughout this evolution, and was always keen to find new and better ways to use the computer as a tool for solving problems. Once he began working with them, George was never very far from a computer, even after he retired.

In his personal life, he was active in and served his church, the Durham Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One of his favorite hobbies was genealogy, and he spent many evenings volunteering in the genealogy library at church, both helping others find information and also working to research and document his family tree. He loved to build things and to learn how they work, including all kinds of modeling, from airplanes to intricate matchstick sculptures of huge buildings such as London's Tower Bridge and the Eiffel Tower. He even put together his family's first television from a kit! George loved working in the garden and harvesting vegetables to share and enjoy. He liked to relax with a puzzle; the more pieces the better. George was also active in the Durham chapter of the Civitan Club, where he regularly volunteered to work the concession stands for Duke sporting events. He brought his children along to help out with volunteering, making sure to teach them the importance of contributing to their community.

George will be greatly missed by his family. A private graveside service will be held at Markham Memorial Gardens. A public memorial will be planned in the future when circumstances allow for family and friends to safely gather.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Durham Civitan Club at 253 Country Club Dr., Durham, North Carolina 27712, or to a charitable organization of your choice.