Obituary of Duncan Paisley

Duncan was born on October 12, 1956 to Richard and Jean (Olson) Paisley in Charlotte, NC. Due to his father’s employment, his family moved several times during his childhood, most significantly to Salt Lake City, UT, where Duncan spent his formative years, before settling permanently in his parents’ native Minnesota. Duncan attended Edina West High School, where he was a proud member of the debate team and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship to college.

Instead of remaining in Edina for his senior year, Duncan was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Lagos, Nigeria, where he enjoyed the warm hospitality of his host families, made life-long friends, and discovered the joys of international traveling. Duncan attended the University of Minnesota before embarking on a series of trips, including an overland trip from Europe to India via Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan that was the source of many good stories.

In the 1980s, Duncan was a founding member and lead singer and songwriter in the band the Peace Dogs, with whom he recorded two albums: Get Fixed and Hëvy Petting.

Drawn to jobs that he would want to do even if he wasn’t being paid, Duncan worked at Courage Center and then for many years as a Personal Care Attendant with people with quadriplegia, most of whom became friends. Between jobs, he continued his travels, including long-distance motorcycle and bicycle trips, and, with his eventual wife Claire Blanchette, travels in Jamaica, Mexico, and South America. More recently, he’d spent several months in Europe and had a plane ticket to India when Covid-19 hit and derailed his plans.

Duncan was a proud dad to Camille and Simone Blanchette. With his family, he enjoyed visiting his maternal family’s ancestral home in Sweden, along with travels around the U.S., often camping. He introduced the kids to the peacefulness of canoeing in the Boundary Waters and also the excitement of the Minnesota State Fair. Camille’s death in 2019 was a great heartbreak.

After suffering a serious leg injury in 2011 when hit by a falling tree at a camp, one of Duncan’s goals was to get back on his bike, which he accomplished. Duncan was a great discoverer of music and films and had extensive collections of both, sharing his finds with friends and family. He helped keep the post office in business by sending daily postcards from his large collection that he took pride in matching to the occasion and recipient. Duncan loved quirky t-shirts and posters. His frequent emails often included links to things he was interested in. Always joking around, he named his apartment World Domination Headquarters.

Duncan passed away on March 30, 2023 of a heart attack. He is survived by daughter Simone, ex-wife and friend Claire, brother John (Ruth), sister Christine (Deb Motto), aunts Jane Olson and Kathy Anderson (Floyd), stepmother Carol, plus many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Duncan requested that no services be held. He will be forever missed by those who loved him.