Kathleen "Kitty" Mary Duncan

Kathleen “Kitty” Mary Duncan, 66, died peacefully on March 7, 2026, after a courageous battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Kitty was born on June 9, 1959, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, to the late Joseph L. Berner and Sheila Berner. She grew up in Homewood, Illinois, and later settled in Chicago, where she remained for the rest of her life.

She is survived by her sons Gary and Patrick; her granddaughters Elizabeth and Bethenny; her mother Sheila Berner; her brothers Kevin, Tony, and Vince; sisters-in-law Lisa, Kathy, and Marci; her sister Sarah; her niece Kelly McKibbin; and many other nieces, nephews, friends, and relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband Gary Duncan, her sister Mary Grace, her nephew Jimmy McKibbin, and her father Joe Berner.

Widowed at a young age, Kitty was a devoted mother who raised her sons independently while working a variety of jobs and managing her three-flat apartment building on Chicago’s North Side.

Kitty was fiercely loyal, kind, and generous, with a keen and irreverent sense of humor. She enjoyed a wide range of interests, from fishing to music, art, and gardening. She was a skilled cook who loved to feed people, keeping many traditional family recipes alive while also learning new techniques. She also loved thrifting and spent many happy hours searching for bargains and treasures, especially with her mother. Kitty was a well-known and beloved fixture on the 2300 block of Melrose. Her home was always an open door, and her backyard was often the center of block life, where her sons and the local kids built forts and spent countless hours playing together.

Kitty faced her illness with grace and toughness that reflected the strength of her character.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Chicago favorite, Himmel’s, at a later date.

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options in Schiller Park, Illinois.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.