Maxine Valerie Duncanson
Obituary
Maxine Valerie LeDrew Duncanson, 90, of Normandy Park, passed peacefully away on March 22nd at Angel Wings Senior Care Home in Des Moines.
Maxine (DeeDee) was born on January 26, 1933 to Mack and Winnie LeDrew in Shelton, WA. She moved around the country with her parents, living in Shelton, Portland, OR, and New York before settling in Seahurst, WA. There she made many lifelong friends, including her husband, Neil Duncanson. She grad- uated from Highline High School in 1950 and attended the University of Washington. She was a song leader for the Huskies, and president of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. She earned a degree in sociology.
She and her husband, Neil, moved to Chicago shortly after their marriage in 1955. Maxine made many friends while there and worked as an executive secretary at General Electric while Neil attended Medical School. Except for a short stint in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Maxine and Neil have resided in Normandy Park, WA. There they raised their 4 children. Their home in Normandy Park is still the center of family gatherings.
The focus of Maxine’s life was her family. She was the ultimate organizer of home central. Over the years, she did find time for many other interests including skiing, cooking, tennis, drama, boating, and friends. Maxine was an early adopter of technology, taking classes at Highline Community College to figure out the ins and outs of computers, getting Neil’s books onto computers, and mastering QuickBooks. She was also a whiz at the complexities of the media system in their home, and was the one to be depended on to get the connections “right.”
One of her favorite activities was heading out on the boat as long as the weather was calm! She spent hours at the helm while Neil checked out the rest of the boat, and was always the one to sit on the floor of the salon and hold everything down and shut in a storm!
Maxine was predeceased by her parents, Winnie and Mack LeDrew, and her brother and sister-in-law, Walter and Gretchen LeDrew. She is survived by her husband, Neil, children, Doug (Carol), Lori, Debbie and Hal (Kay), grandchildren Erin, Lauren, Emily, Neil, Peter, Gail, Sarah, Henry, Maxine, Mack, sister, Linda (Dave) as well as eight great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, and friends.
The family requests that donations be made to your favorite charity in lieu of flowers. Services for Maxine will be held May 20, 2023 at John Knox Presbyterian Church, Normandy Park WA at one thirty PM.
