In 1989, she married Scott Duncan, and when he was appointed a Peace Corps country director, she left her job to accompany him to posts in Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the Republic of Georgia. Her delightful personality, gracious manner and infectious laugh made her a hit wherever she went.
Obituary for Michael Ann Doyle, wife of Peace Corps Country director for Sri Lanka, Phillipines, and Georgia
Michael Ann Doyle
March 14, 2010
SALISBURY -- Michael Ann Doyle passed away Friday, March 12, 2010, at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury, with her husband by her side. She was 62 years old and had been living with endometrial cancer for two and a half years.
Michael was born at Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1947 and spent much of her youth moving around the country, as well as Brazil and Portugal, as her father's naval career advanced.
She started college at University of Maryland in Munich, Germany, and completed her degree in fine arts at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. In Hawaii, she joined a high-tech startup company, VeriFone, shortly after it was founded by friends and functioned as an equipment beta-tester, installer and salesperson and gradually evolved into a human resources specialist as the company expanded. Toward the end of her 14-year career with the company, she was recruiting and training VeriFone employees throughout the world.
In 1989, she married Scott Duncan, and when he was appointed a Peace Corps country director, she left her job to accompany him to posts in Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the Republic of Georgia. Her delightful personality, gracious manner and infectious laugh made her a hit wherever she went.
One of her greatest pleasures in life was to enjoy a nice pot of tea in the afternoon, usually brewed in one of the may teapots she acquired during her world travels.
Michael was a gifted artist in a variety of media, including weaving, papermaking, basketry and oil painting. After retiring to Salisbury in 2003, she worked at Hancock Fabrics, where she enjoyed helping customers with their decorating ideas and color choices. Prior to her illness, she also taught in an after-school art program for young people in Salisbury administered through AI&G and was a member of the Salisbury Chorale and Green Hill Yacht & Country Club.
She was a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and served as the clerk of the Quaker Meeting in Salisbury. She was particularly proud of her work as a mediator in the Friends Conflict Resolution Program in the Philadelphia area.
She is survived by her mother, Barbara J. Doyle of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; her husband, Scott Duncan of Quantico; brothers, Padraic, Shawn and Kevan; stepdaughters, Martha Duncan of Knoxville, Tenn., and Lesly Duncan (Sam Matthews); and grandchildren, Nate and Adrian Matthews of Sofia, Bulgaria.
There will be a memorial service celebrating Michael's life March 27 at 3 p.m. at the Quaker Meeting House at 519 Dykes Road in Salisbury. All are welcome. Contributions may be made in Michael's memory to The Wellness Community, 1506 S. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, Md. 21801; or Coastal Hospice at the Lake, PO Box 1733, Salisbury, Md. 21802.
Arrangements are in the care of Holloway Funeral Home PA at 501 Snow Hill Road in Salisbury. To send condolences to the family, visit www.hollowayfh.com.
