I’m talking about the late Charles W. Duncan Jr., a longstanding steward of our mission and vision. He served on the Houston Methodist Board of Directors from 1983 to 2007 and as a Life Member from 2007 until his passing in 2022. He was also a member of the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation Board of Directors from 1997 until 2022. His family’s recent transformational gift was a bold investment in the future of health care and will surely improve the lives of our patients being treated in the newly named Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine.

I always received wise counsel from Charles. Education was another of his passions, whether discussing lifelong learning for our nurses or teaching me tips on how to properly dissect a financial report. Charles had the ability to distill large amounts of information down to its essence, and his advice was invaluable.

Fortunately, I still have the gift of Duncan guidance. Charles’ son, Carlos, serves on our Foundation board, where he has the same attention to detail and provides the same thoughtful input as his father did. I’ve often said that we stand on the shoulders of giants, and there are few who loom as large or as foundational as the Duncans. I hope you enjoy reading more about this exceptional family.