We are very sad to announce the passing of our father and grandfather Duncan Wallace Netzel.

Duncan had a wonderful fun filled life and his sense of humour will always be in our hearts.

He was born in Saskatoon on November 8, 1939 to Hugh and Peggy Netzel.

They lived in the Saskatoon area while his father worked for the RCMP. His dad then joined the RCAF and they moved around a lot, they lived in Trenton, Ontario, Moose Jaw, Sask. and Calgary, Alberta.

The family moved up to the Yukon in 1949 which became Dads heart and soul, he loved everything about the area.

In the Yukon the family lived in a number of areas including Whitehorse in Moccasin flats and Takhini. Dad went to Whitehorse Elementary and then Christ of King High School. This is also where his passion for the Air Cadets began, he was enrolled for a few years, and when he was 15 he decided to join the Air Force and he moved to Ontario. He spent his entire Air Force career in Ontario and did not return to the Yukon until about 1961. At this time his family was up in Dawson City, dad went up there in 1961 and began a new career. He met his first wife Rose and together they managed the Bonanza Bar and Hotel and ran that until 1963. In 1963 they moved to Calgary got married and in 1964 their first daughter Janette Mary was born. Dad decided he wanted to be a police officer so they moved to Whitecourt they lived there until 1966. The adventures continue when they bought a small farm in Yarrow. Dad went to work for Corrections and worked at a number of Institutions and then he went on to teach at the staff college. It is at this time he gets involved again with the Air Cadets and was a founding member of the Chilliwack squadron. In 1970 Rose and Duncan had their second daughter Shannon Rose. They were really enjoying their life in Yarrow and they had a great group of friends that they had many fun times with. They were a social bunch and had Great BBQ’s, went Hooligan fishing, Friday night trips to Sumas, Sunday drives to visit family in the area, special trips to White Rock to see his grandmother, we would feast on fish and chips and the day always ended him burning to a crisp on the beach, lots of fun and laughter. Rose and Duncan decide to become berry farmers, they had 3 acres of Raspberries and 10 acres of Strawberries. This came with some challenges and a lot of work and some good stories. Dad isn’t the best at maintenance so these were interesting times. They persevered and had great success!

In 1977 Dad perused his dreams of becoming a Police officer and he joined the Matsqui Police, he really enjoyed the comradery and made lifelong friends.

In about 1982 Dad met Nikki and he moved to Abbotsford with Nikki and her 2 kids, Shaw and Tracey. He was very involved in the Air Cadets and the Air Show in Abbotsford, he loved the planes and the enthusiasm the kids had.

With Dad he was always challenging himself, there was always a new adventure around the corner, he was very excited to be a part of the security detail on the EXPO 86 grounds. But the Yukon was still calling, and that is where his heart truly wanted to be so Dad, Nikki and Tracy moved up to Faro where he and Nikki worked for the mine.

In 1990 they moved back to Whitehorse and he went to work for the Yukon Government Parole Board, he also went on to get his Notary stamp and he worked as the on call Coroner in the area. While living there he loved to go fishing, in the summer you could almost fish 24 hrs a day! He and Nikki bought a beautiful 32 foot boat named Natasha and they spent many days out in Skagway touring around and prawn fishing, he wasn’t so good at crabbing. As always Dad made many friends both in Whitehorse and with fellow boaters in Skagway, always lots of fun, laughs and pranks. Nikki and Dad also discovered their love for Yorkies, they had a few of them and even opened a clothing accessory store called Mitzies Closet in honour of their first Yorkie. Dad was involved in the Air Cadets in Whitehorse, he volunteered at the Transport Museum and he belonged to the Yukon Historical Society. He was very proud of the Yukon and his heritage there, he loved having his BC friends and family up and touring them around and sharing the history of the Yukon. He retired in 2007 and continued to volunteer and spend time on his boat just enjoying life.

Unfortunately not long after his retirement he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and went into a home in Whitehorse. The Staff at Copper Ridge Place loved him, his great one-liners and his mischievous ways. He even managed to organize a “prison” break!

Dad was very proud of his girls: Shannon and Peter and Grandson Lucas, Janette and Brad and Grandsons Kyle and Brayden and Granddaughter Denika.

He leaves behind his 3 sisters: Kathleen and Bill Lyons, Margret and Bruce Elliot and Susan Bradford and all their families.

If you would like to make a donation to the 551 Whitehorse Lions Royal Canadian Air Cadets or the Whitehorse Transportation Museum on his behalf see the links below. That would make him smile!

Transportation Museum: https://goytm.ca/donate/

551 Whitehorse Air Cadets: 551rcacs@gmail.com