Natalie Frances Duncan

Natalie Duncan, age 27, died by suicide on August 2, 2024. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Natalie grew up in Concord, NH, attending local public schools and the Derryfield School for high school. Natalie was an active youth member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, and was the 2015 Youth Volunteer of the Year. After a gap year in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, she attended the University of Puget Sound, and graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2021.

Natalie spent time living, volunteering, and working in New Hampshire, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Seattle, and Albuquerque. She made close friends wherever she was, and connected easily with people of all ages. Her loving family includes her parents Andy and Laurel, her brother Alexander and his fiancée Hannah, her grandparents Ben and Jean Horne, uncles, aunts, cousins, and extended family around the country. She valued her relationships and was honest, caring, and compassionate.

Natalie loved nature, the outdoors, traveling, fun and adventure. She was in tune with the strengths and limits of her physical body. She was an amazing hiker who visited many of New Hampshire’s high peaks, and hiked in New Mexico, Spain, and throughout the western United States. She loved mountain biking as well as other human-powered activities. “Delorean” hiked the Appalachian Trail north to south, starting on Mt. Katahdin in July 2022 and finishing in Georgia in December. Delorean cherished the friendships she made on trail.

Natalie was a gifted environmental educator and worked on many projects to help the world become more sustainable, from Albuquerque’s climate action plan to organic farming in Costa Rica. She helped others see the beauty in nature, from celestial objects to Robin’s eggs.

She was an earnest, empathetic, and keenly observant person, which informed her art and poetry. Natalie cared so deeply for people, animals, plants, and even rocks. Everything, large and small, amazed her, and she traveled through life with an infectious childlike wonder.

Natalie enjoyed deep conversations, learning, discussing the complexity of the human condition, polar plunges, creative cooking and trying new foods, eating everything, reading, finding four-leaf clovers, helping others and our earth, listening to music, shopping at thrift stores, time alone and time in community, drawing and writing, playing cards, backgammon and Blokus, moss and trees, deserts, lakes, oceans, rivers, planting native plants and removing invasives, birds and pollinators, cats and dogs, lizards and frogs, picking wild grapes and making raisins in her car, foraging in the wild, composting and getting her hands dirty, and the intricacies of flowers and mushrooms.

She understood the beauty of life around her and the necessity of love in this world. Natalie felt emotions with depth and weight, and experienced life as a swirling part of creation. Despite her love for others, Natalie found it difficult to accept help for her mental struggles. Her family wants readers to know that help is available and can make a difference. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is an excellent resource, and for those in crisis please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

A Celebration of Life Service for Natalie Duncan will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord on Saturday, September 21 at 1:00 pm. For those who are motivated to do so, in Natalie’s memory, take action to make the world a better place and reach out in love to those who are struggling. If you would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers in Natalie’s memory consider one of the following: **NAMI-NH, Kawasiwajo Community Land Trust, New Hampshire Audubon, Hike for Mental Health, UU Church of Concord, or the Rio Grande Community Farm, or the charity of your choice. **

She has left behind a large abyss of human connection and love for all. We miss you so much, Natalie. We love you endlessly. We will carry you in our hearts forever.

Please share your memories and photos of Natalie below.

Memorial Donations can be made to the following organizations through the Memorial Contributions button found below.

Kawasiwajo Community Land Trust, New Hampshire Audubon, Hike for Mental Health, Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, NH, Rio Grande Community Farm