Gwen Viann Owens Duncan

Gwen Viann Owens Duncan was born November 10, 1955, in Houston, Texas. She grew up on a small farm near Tomball, Texas, and rode the same school bus to Tomball schools for thirteen years. She graduated from Baylor University School of Nursing in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and shortly thereafter passed Texas Board of Nursing licensing examinations to become a Registered Nurse. In 1989 she completed a Master of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman’s University.

On September 2, 1978, Viann and Courtney B. Duncan were married in Dallas, Texas, where they lived briefly. Following her mother’s death in 1980, the couple relocated to her childhood home outside of Tomball to care for her father and, later, his estate. In 1987 they moved from the Houston area to La Cañada, California, for Courtney’s work.

Viann grew up in the First Baptist Church of Tomball, and on returning to the area, the couple attended Rose Hill Methodist Church and later Champions Covenant Church, a church plant in northwest Harris County. Since moving to California, they have been members of Pasadena Covenant Church in Pasadena.

Viann was loved and respected by everyone who knew her. She was a good listener and advocate and was fiercely loyal to her family and friends, which included essentially anyone with whom she had contact. Her care, empathy, and advice were treasured by all who experienced it. After working in hospital nursing and later psychiatric nursing, she joined Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing, where she was a psychiatric nursing professor and clinical instructor for the last twenty years of her career. There, she was also active in the Iota Sigma chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Her students, colleagues, friends, and family all experienced and were made better people by the amazing love and devotion she exhibited for other human beings.

Following a three-year struggle with metastatic breast cancer, Viann passed from this life peacefully on August 7, 2023, around sunset, at home, surrounded by family and friends. She loved life, wanting to be there always to help loved ones, meaning everyone. She loved life even as it became very difficult—consistently trying to climb back to health, not relaxing, to the very end. This was not surprising to us, in retrospect. Her heart was always right with God from her conversion as a youth. As in all of her relationships, once committed, she never wavered.

Viann is survived by her husband Courtney; daughter Viannah Duncan of Rockville, Maryland; daughter Katherine Wallin, son-in-law Andrew Wallin, and grandson Edward Wallin of Fontana, California; son John Duncan of La Cañada; sister and brother-in-law Elizabeth and Doug Skemp of Dallas, Texas; brother and sister-in-law Michael Owens and Mary Korman of Austin, Texas; nieces Jennifer Skemp and Liana Owens-Korman and nephew Andrew John Skemp; and sister-in-law and wife Wilda Duncan and Elizabeth Brave of San Diego.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Viann's memory may be made to the Pasadena Covenant Church Capital Campaign Sanctuary Building Fund. Please write "In memory of Viann O. Duncan" in the Notes section before donating.

Donations may also be made to The APU Student Scholarship established in Viann's name.  Please click on the box that says, "Make this donation in someone's honor or memory" and type in "In memory of Viann Duncan" when donating.