Barbara Duncan, a longtime resident of the Upper Valley, died peacefully on Monday, May 8, 2023, of complications from Lewy Body Dementia. Her husband, Gary, and daughter, Thea, were at her side.

Born June 22, 1948, in Schenectady, New York, Barbara was the oldest of John and Susan Duncan's three children. Barbara was outgoing, independent, loud and tomboyish. She was wired like her father, prone to fun-loving goofiness. Her mother drove her to daily ballet classes - which quickly turned from hobby, to passion, to a career. But Barbara also loved the outdoors and spent her summers swimming and playing croquet and cards at family cottages on Scroon and Little York lakes, or down in Daytona Beach where her family vacationed for many years. She and her siblings Debbie and Dave fondly remember the trips down Route 1 to Florida in the family's Studebaker. In high school, Barbara had a summer job sweeping the stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, after the NYC Ballet would perform.

After a hiatus from ballet during which she graduated from St. Lawrence University and ended a short first marriage, Barbara became a principal with the corps of Syracuse Ballet for several years, while continuing to enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, and skiing. She would bike many miles to and from the dance studio from her places of residence, which one summer included a tent on the property of close
friends in the Finger Lakes region.

In 1976, Barbara moved (with two goats in her truck) to Vermont, settling first in Thetford Hill, in a house rented from author and Dartmouth Professor Ned Perrin. The house was in such disrepair that, in spite of Barbara's efforts to upgrade, the Thetford Volunteer Fire Department eventually burned it as a training exercise. Ned remained a dear friend, as well as some other local farmers who were much charmed by her.

Dartmouth hired Barbara to teach ballet, and she crossed paths there with the original founders of Pilobolus. Afterwards she founded the Whirligig Dance Studio in Norwich, Vermont, where she taught ballet to adoring adults and youth for many years. During this time, Barbara acquired 18 acres of land on Stowell Road near the Thetford/Norwich town line and, with the help of some other "back to the landers", she designed and built a 12 x 16 log cabin. It was seven miles out of town, had a small barn, a chicken coop, and an outhouse - and she loved it. She quickly expanded her goat herd, and added sheep. Barbara would go on to design and build two more houses for her family. At each of those homes, and also at the family cottage on Lake Morey known as "Flower Hill", she pursued her love of gardening, and cared for the family dogs and cats who were her special companions. The lake cottage also afforded her the opportunity to canoe and to sail her ancient sunfish, two of her favorite activities.

In addition to teaching, Barbara choreographed productions for the Parish Players and LOON (Light Opera of Norwich, now Opera North). She met the love of her life, local attorney Gary Brooks, while teaching him to waltz (in more than one direction) in a production of Pirates of Penzance. They were married in 1984 at the Norwich Congregational Church and honeymooned by biking up the Maine coast. Barbara became a proud stepmother to Rachel and Coleman Brooks, and in 1985, she gave birth to her beloved daughter, Thea Duncan Brooks. She was an incredibly passionate and devoted (one might say obsessive) mother and had a special place in her heart for all children - especially her step-grandsons, who called her "Bobbie".

In the 1990's, Barbara put her love for the environment on the front burner. She formed the Vermont Population Alliance and became its Executive Director. After a few years, VPA aligned itself with the Northwest Earth Institute of Portland, Oregon, and became its Vermont affiliate under the name Vermont Earth Institute. Using materials developed by the NWEI, Barbara led, and trained others to lead, discussion groups on such topics as "Sustainable Development" and "Menus for the Future" for churches, businesses and organizations around the state. When NWEI presented her with a lifetime achievement award, they noted that 8000 Vermonters had taken these discussion courses under Barbara's leadership.

In 2017 Barbara completed her quest to climb all 48 of the 4000-foot peaks in the White Mountains and became a member of the 4000 Footer Club of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Even after her diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia, Barbara continued to hike with her family and friends, and with the Granite Grannies, a local hiking group she adored.

Barbara believed in her communities and contributed to them - whether by leading the volunteers hand-picking milfoil out of Lake Morey to keep the lake clean, forming the Fairlee Energy Committee, or coordinating Sunday School at the Norwich Congregational Church. She was much loved and admired by every community of which she was a part because of her commitment and her upbeat and cheerful personality.

In addition to her husband and daughter, Barbara is survived by her stepdaughter Rachel Brooks Bartlett (Brian) and her step-grandchildren: Anderson, Hill, Hampton and Bailey Bartlett; by her stepson Coleman Brooks (Courtney); and by her sister, Deborah Duncan (David Bak), and brother, David Duncan.

The family wishes to express great thanks and appreciation to Barbara's doctors, Catherine Dubeau and Barbara Lazar, and the wonderful caregivers at Wheelock Terrace and Bayada Hospice.

A memorial service celebrating Barbara's life will be held at the Norwich Congregational Church on Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of donations in Barbara's name to Opera North or Willing Hands.