Chalmers Duncan Obituary

Born to Leon and Edna Duncan, Chalmers was the youngest of two children. He literally was a little rascal in his own right. He loved to play pranks with his childhood friends Phony, Johnny, Carl, Charlie, and Beverly. Oh, the mischief they would get into! Following in his father’s footsteps, he began masonry as a teenager, qualifying him to be a true master of his craft. He graduated from Alston High School in 1962. On Thanksgiving Day in 1964, Chalmers married his bride of 61 years, Brenda Casandra Bennett. Together, they built a beautiful life and family. God favored their union with three children, Dionne, Edwin, and Princess. From that, they were blessed with five grandchildren, and their first great grandchild was born in May 2025. His family brought him so much joy. He really enjoyed talking to and spending time with his special niece Crystal Thornton.

Chalmers was a true master craftsman and a Jack of all trades. There was nothing he could not do. From Carpentry to Plumbing, he could do it all and do it well. He took so much pride in his work. He laid bricks for over 57 years from New York to Florida. If you ever want to see his beautiful works of art, you can just look around Downtown Summerville or Charleston, and you will see a piece of him. You can also see the brick ball, one of the last projects he was commissioned to build, at the Summerville Museum and Research Center’s garden, in honor of all the master brick masons around the Summerville area. Chalmers loved to stay busy. Once he retired, you could find him tending to his yard, tinkering with something in his shop, or taking a ride with his “Sandra”. He also loved his family church and was the advisor on many of the projects there. Chalmers was a mentor to so many over the years, sharing his gift and wisdom so the profession doesn’t die with him.

Left to cherish his life are his loving and devoted wife, Brenda Casandra; Children, Dionne Purvis, Edwin Duncan, and Princess Crawford (Dontell); Grandchildren, Alexandra Savage (Sterling), Desmin Jones (Edward), Colby Goodson, Jalen Crawford, Alden Crawford, and one great granddaughter, Bailey Duncan Jones; one brother, George Randolph; nieces, Crystal Thornton and Adrienne Washington; a nephew, Ivan Whitney; Special Friends, Carl Busby, Carl Boller, Thomas Varner, Alphonso Boone, Beverly Fishburne, Bruce Hill, and Rev Roosevelt Geddis; and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Edna Duncan and his sister Frances Williams.