Joe Duncan

Joseph Miehls Duncan, 60, of Coatesville, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Joe was born on February 26, 1966, in Connersville, Indiana, to the late Joseph and Patricia (Miehls) Duncan. He graduated from Connersville High School in 1984, where he left his mark not only as a student, but also as the school’s beloved Spartan mascot. In fact, Joe was voted the “Best Spartan Mascot Ever” for the 1982–1984 school year—a distinction that suited his memorable personality and good-natured spirit.

It was also during high school that Joe took Sarah Carpenter, his future wife, to their senior prom. Their lives eventually took them in different directions, but many years later, at their 2009 high school reunion, they reconnected and began dating. On September 3, 2011, Joe and Sarah were married on what they remembered as an exceptionally hot September day—made even more memorable by Sarah wearing silk and Joe proudly wearing a wool kilt.

Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in History from IUPUI and remained an enthusiastic student of history throughout his life. He was especially interested in factual history and World War II and was an avid and exceptionally well-read reader. His family knew him as the person who seemed to have an answer for just about everything. Rather than saying, “Ask Google,” they would often say, “Ask Joe-ggle.”

Joe and Sarah shared a love of travel and discovering new places together. Gatlinburg was a favorite destination, but their adventures ultimately took them across the country and around the world. They visited Yosemite in 2018 and Mount Rushmore and South Dakota in 2019. Their travels also included Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, and Glacier National Park in June 2022. The following month, they traveled to Alaska.

Their adventures continued with a trip to Ireland in May 2023, followed that year by Mount Rainier in Washington and the Oregon Coast. In 2024, they traveled through the breathtaking Canadian Rockies from Banff to Lake Louise and also visited Niagara Falls. In 2026, Joe and Sarah continued doing what they loved, experiencing the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and the Smoky Mountains together.

For Joe, traveling was also an opportunity to indulge his love of history. Whenever possible, he enjoyed visiting presidential libraries and was looking forward to seeing more of them. Whether exploring a national park, experiencing another country, or simply setting out to see someplace new, Joe and Sarah treasured the adventures and memories they made side by side.

Joe believed in staying active. He enjoyed working out, walking, and hiking, and his commitment to physical activity became even stronger following a heart attack in 2020, when he received four stents. He approached life with an easygoing, “go with the flow” attitude and was always ready to see where the next adventure might lead.

Professionally, Joe worked in hospitality and later in logistics, including work with FedEx Stryker.

Some of Joe and Sarah’s most treasured moments, however, were the simplest ones. At the end of the day, they enjoyed sitting together over a glass of wine, catching up and sharing the events of their day. Joe also loved reading in his spare time and happily embraced opportunities to have a little fun, including dressing in character for murder mystery games.

Joe will be remembered for his intelligence, his curiosity, his remarkable knowledge of history, his adventurous spirit, and his easygoing approach to life. Above all, he will be remembered for the life he shared with Sarah and the many ordinary moments, travels, conversations, and adventures that became extraordinary because they experienced them together.

Joe is survived by his wife of 15 years, Sarah Duncan; his stepchildren, Alex Moore and Nicole Moore; and his sisters, Debbie Williams and Mary Jo Zimmer.

Joe’s family and friends will remember a man who never stopped learning, who was always ready for another adventure, and who could very often answer the question before anyone had a chance to Google it.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 - 6:00 pm on Friday, October 9, 2026 at Helton & Harris Funeral Home, Danville. A time of sharing memories and stories will begin at 6:00 pm. All are encouraged to come with a memory to share with the family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at https://imaginationlibrary.com.