Bernard F. Duck, Jr.

Bernard Francis Duck, Jr.

Bernard Francis Duck, Jr. of Bowie, Maryland passed away on Monday, October 6, 2025 at the age of 83. Born on June 3, 1942 in Toledo, Ohio, he was the eldest of the seventeen children born to Ruth Marie (née Langenderfer) and Bernard Francis Duck, Sr.

His family moved several times in his early years, moving first to Washington DC, then to Maryland, residing in Green Meadows and subsequently Berwyn Heights. Bernie attended the Catholic University of America, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 1964.

Following his undergraduate studies, Bernie was awarded a fellowship to pursue graduate work in Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His academic journey also included fellowships to travel to Central and South America as part of his research. Later in life, he returned to his studies, earning a Master of Arts in Education in 1999.

Bernie spent most of his adult life in Austin, where he served as a substitute teacher and an adjunct professor of economics at Austin Community College, the latter for over ten years. Bernie enjoyed a number of art forms, including flamenco and blues guitar, and classical piano. He was also a visual artist who loved sketching, watercolor, and making simple prints as gifts. After years of caring for a long-time friend until her death, he returned to Prince George’s County in 2017 to live out his remaining years in Bowie, closer to family. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his sense of justice, and his devotion to his faith. He is survived by his sixteen siblings: Kathleen (Michael) Ludowise, Patrick (Pamela Meyer) Duck, Sheila Stanford, Barbara (Paul) Ondrus, Christopher (Kathie) Duck, Timothy (Patricia) Duck, Marguerite (Steven) Dobrosielski, Philip Duck, Regina (Gregory) Halper, Stephen (Lena) Duck, Maureen (Emrys) Daniels, Matthew (Bobbie Jean) Duck, Rita (Michael) McCarn, Andrew (Whitney) Duck, Nicholas Duck, and Elaine (Enda Donagher) Duck, and 46 nieces and nephews and their children. Funeral arrangements are being made through Beall Funeral Home on Crain Highway (Route 3) in Bowie, Maryland. The family will receive visitors on Thursday, November 20, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass will take place at St. Pius X Catholic Church on Annapolis Road in Bowie at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 21, 2025. His cremated remains will be interred at a later time at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland, alongside his parents.