Jennifer Jean Duncan

Jennifer J. Duncan was born June 1, 1956, in Montpelier, Idaho, to John H. Duncan and Theresia M. Duncan. She spent her formative years in Pocatello, attending Washington Elementary School, Franklin Jr. High, and Pocatello High School, graduating in 1974. She died August 18, 2026 at her home in Monterey.

During high school, Jennifer was deeply involved with the Pocatello High School yearbook and made lifelong friends. She also developed many of the passions that would remain with her throughout her life. She learned to ski at Skyline Ski Area, now Pebble Creek, and shared her love of fishing with her father and brother. She loved being outdoors, but she was also a voracious reader, often returning to the same books multiple times over the years.

Jennifer attended Idaho State University in Pocatello, graduating with a Sociology degree in 1978. She completed her postgraduate studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, where she earned a master’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice.

In 1987, Jennifer took the first major step in what would become an extraordinary career when she joined the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, California. RAND, the country’s premier and original think tank, was established to help the federal government address increasingly complex national security challenges. Jennifer was in her element. She was surrounded by people who shared her deep commitment to learning, research, and solving practical problems facing the country.

She quickly became an integral member of RAND’s multidisciplinary research teams, working on a wide range of projects, most prominently with the Institute for the Study of Criminal Justice and the National Defense Research Institute. Among her final projects at RAND was a multi-year effort supporting the U.S. Department of Defense in examining the notorious Peruvian guerrilla organization Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso). Jennifer was singularly responsible for constructing a twenty-year database documenting Sendero violence.

In 1992, Jennifer made another major move, relocating to Monterey, California, where she joined the Naval Postgraduate School and helped establish its academic program in Special Operations and Irregular Warfare. She was the program’s first outside hire and quickly became central to its growth and success. The program was created to support the U.S. Joint Special Operations Forces community by offering a master’s degree in Defense Analysis. As Program Director, Jennifer became the administrative and personal heart of the program. What began in 1992 with an initial class of 13 students eventually grew to an annual enrollment of approximately 160 students, with numbers increasing dramatically following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Jennifer was there through it all, helping educate a generation of the nation’s Special Operations warriors, many of whom would go on to serve in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other combat zones.

Jennifer was far more than an administrator. She was a mentor, confidant, advocate, and friend to thousands of students and their families—not only within the American Special Operations community, but among military leaders from more than 25 allied countries.

Her impact was perhaps best captured by Admiral William McRaven, one of the program’s first graduates and the commander of the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011. In a presentation copy of his book to Jennifer, he wrote that she was “The Heart and Soul of the Special Operations Curriculum.” Those words reflected the Jennifer so many people knew. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, supported, and understood, and she remained a trusted friend to a generation of Special Operations leaders, many of whom went on to serve at the highest levels of command.

Few people are given the opportunity to touch so many lives through their work. Jennifer was given that opportunity, and she made the very most of it.

And Jennifer certainly had fun along the way.

Monterey became her home and the place where many of her greatest passions flourished. She was an active sailor for many years, owning her own boat, Joss, named for the Chinese word for “luck.” She was a member of the Monterey Yacht Club and regularly participated in Wednesday evening and Saturday races on Monterey Bay. She could be found at the helm of Joss or crewing for other boats in the racing fleet, and she won numerous awards along the way.

Her love of fishing, first nurtured as a child with her father, was rekindled in Monterey Bay. She also became a lifelong member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and took great pleasure in sharing it with friends and family.

Away from work and the water, Jennifer enjoyed lunches and dinners with friends, playing chess, gardening, and reading mystery novels, of which she was an encyclopedic expert. She also found enormous joy in her cats, who seemed to find their way to her as naturally as her many human friends did.

Jennifer lived a life marked by curiosity, intelligence, adventure, friendship, and an extraordinary commitment to the people around her. Whether she was helping a student find his or her way, racing across Monterey Bay, discussing a mystery novel, or simply sharing a meal with a friend, Jennifer had a way of making people feel that they mattered.

Jennifer is survived by her sister, Julie Robinson and brother-in-law John Robinson; niece Amanda Miiller and nephew-in-law Drew Miiller; nephew Sam Robinson; brother Chuck Duncan and sister-in-law Margo Duncan; nephew Braxton Duncan; niece Brennen Magana and nephew-in-law Mitch Magagna; as well as two great-nieces, Madelyn and Annie Miiller and four great-nephews, Jack Miller, Hawk Robinson, Archie and Henry Magagna.

She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, former students, and the many people whose lives she touched throughout her remarkable life.

For those wishing to make a memorial contribution, please support your local food bank. Jennifer was passionate about supporting those dealing with food insecurity.