Dr. W. Duncan Mcleary

W. Duncan McCleary, the eldest son of Raphel McCleary and Imogene Rosetta Taylor of Saint Mary & Portland, Jamaica, West Indies was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 26, 1929. His parents instilled in him a sincere love for God, a strong work ethic and the value of family first. From his earliest years he, like his other siblings: Bernice, Inez, Calvin, Paul, Ralph and David, was required to work in his father's bakery. That opportunity afforded valuable lessons he never forgot, which served him well as he pursued his formal education as well as his medical and teaching careers. He attended Baltimore Junior Academy for approximately seven years and transferred to Booker T. Washington Junior High School. During these early years, Duncan accepted Christ as his Savior and Lord, and was baptized into the Berea Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church by Elder Frank Bland. He served on the senior choir under the direction of Brother Elroy Wilson. After graduation from junior high school, he went on to matriculate at Frederick Douglas High School and graduated in June, 1948. Duncan, as he preferred to be called, was drafted into the United States Army. While serving in the army at Camp Pickett, Virginia, he was trained to be a laboratory technician, a position he held until his Honorable Discharge. He subsequently enrolled in Morgan State College (now University) and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. It was at Morgan State that he met Edna Redmond, whom he later married. From this union, three children were born: Gayle, Brad and Dawnn Mc Cleary. After 38 years of marriage, on January 12, 1994 Edna passed away at home. Duncan had long expressed a burning desire to become a physician. After spending a number of years working in the Department of Embryology in Medical Research at Johns Hopkins University/Carnegie Institution of Washington, Duncan left Hopkins/Carnegie to take a position at Sinai Hospital Medical Laboratory in Baltimore City as a laboratory technician. During his time at Sinai Hospital he remembered the story his mother told him of how she abandoned her dream to become a medical doctor to marry his father. Motivated by this nostalgic epiphany, Duncan yearned to pursue his and his mother’s lifelong dream. Duncan made application to Howard University Medical School only to be told that his age precluded him from admittance. Undaunted by this obstacle, he decided to pursue medical training outside of the United States. By God's Divine grace he was accepted into Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, School of Medicine in Guadalajara, Mexico. Duncan completed medical school, and did his internship at Montreal General Hospital in Quebec, Canada. He completed his residency at the University of Connecticut, where he sat and passed his Medical Boards. He eventually completed an additional residency in the Department of Pediatrics at the same hospital, where he received the honor of being the outstanding physician of the year. He passed reciprocal licensure to practice medicine in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. He returned to Baltimore and applied for staff privileges at Sinai Hospital, which were granted. He moved to open up a private practice in East Baltimore with a specialty in Pediatric Medicine. He worked in private practice for 32 years until he retired in 2000. He eventually retired his affiliation with Sinai Hospital. Excellence in service was a standard by which Duncan lived and worked. There are countless stories of family, church members, and community families whose lives were touched by his work ethic and devotion to providing quality health care and education during his public medical career. Later, he met and fell in love with Dr. Geneva Jackson of Philadelphia, PA. Geneva had worked in public health (preventive care), so the two of them worked together as a health ministries team for church members and the Denton, Maryland community. They opened and managed a weight loss program, Achieve Fitness for Life, in Stevensville, MD for three years. Duncan continued to volunteer his time for the Allegheny East Conference as Camp Meeting physician for more than 40 years, and both Drs. McCleary were on staff at the Conference’s Fit4You Retreat. Geneva and Duncan were married for 20 years before Duncan fell asleep in Jesus on February 27, 2015. Wilfred Duncan McCleary leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Dr. Geneva J. McCleary; his children: Gayle (Wayne) Watkins, Brad, and Dawnn (Dorsey) Evans; his brothers: Calvin (Marguerita), Paul (Bernice), Ralph (Louise), and David; his grandchildren, Patrick Watkins and Mycah B. McCleary; and scores of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. W. Duncan Mcleary, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.

Dr. W. Duncan Mcleary

November 26, 1929 - February 27, 2015