William (Bill) Wallace Duncan III, 72, died peacefully on March 5, 2021, after his struggle with Covid-19, with his wife of 45 years, Shobha Dandeker Duncan by his side, holding his hand.
Bill was a very important member of the original Greenbelt Community Foundation and ran Proposal Writing workshops for the organization. His involvement in the community ran deep.
Bill was born in Baltimore on January 7, 1949, where he grew up with his younger sister, Linda Rhine. He completed his B.S. in business in 1971 from American University in Washington, D.C.
A year after he graduated, he met the love of his life on June 24, 1972. Bill and Shobha were married on August 23, 1975 in Silver Spring, and lived in Cockeysville, Beltsville, Takoma Park, Hyattsville, Adelphi and for the past 19 years here in his beloved Greenbelt. They were blessed with two sons, Timothy (1979) and Jonathan (1981) whom he loved dearly and took on many camping, sailing, hiking and road adventures over the years.
Bill worked as a carpenter, construction manager and later an affordable housing consultant for the Enterprise Foundation, now named Enterprise Community Partners, in Columbia from 1984 until his retirement 24 years later in 2008. Enterprise is a national nonprofit that addresses America’s affordable housing crisis from every angle, combining 40 years of experience with thousands of local partners.
He and Shobha co-founded Cedar Ridge Community Church in Burtonsville with Brian and Grace McLaren in 1982. Cedar Ridge Community Church is a diverse, open and affirming community of followers of Jesus, sharing God’s love with everyone and working to make the world a better place.
Bill’s and Shobha’s love for one another was clearly evident and an inspiration to many. He truly loved his four grandsons and cherished all his family and friends.
Bill loved nature and being outdoors. He enjoyed hiking, backpacking, traveling and camping in their RV, and most of all, sailing. He has owned several sailboats over the years and always enjoyed taking adventurous people on exciting trips on the Chesapeake Bay.
Bill’s nephew, James Rhine, in his remembrance of his uncle, noted, “Some of the best memories of my entire life have been with Bill. We’ve stayed up until the very late hours of the morning sharing scotch and deep conversations – one of my favorite things to do. We’ve watched election returns together, hiked together, feasted together, sailed and partied together.”
He is survived by his loving wife, Shobha, their two sons Tim and his wife Aida of Bethesda and Jon and his wife Tiffany of Evans, Ga., and four grandsons – Tim, Bijhan, Alex and Jordan – and his sister, Linda Rhine of Canyon Lake, Calif., as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends all over the world.
