Obituaries: Charles Duncan McCreight

January 27, 1959 – March 12, 2025
Duncan peacefully departed this life on March 12, 2025, in San Francisco after complications from surgery. He was a man of intellect, wit, and integrity who lived a full life marked by his generosity and kindness to all who encountered him.
 
Born January 27, 1959, in Norfolk, Virginia to Major Israel McCreight III and Nancy Hazard McCreight, Duncan was raised as a true U.S. Navy dependent, growing up in Florida; South Carolina; Stuttgart, Germany; Naples, Italy; and New York. He graduated magna cum laude in 1981 from Florida State University with a B.S. in finance and began his business career with Shell Oil in Houston.  
 
He relocated to San Francisco in the late 1980s. 
 
In 1993, Duncan opened Fete Catering, capitalizing on his natural curiosity about all things culinary and his boundless creativity to produce many unforgettable events throughout the Bay Area, from small dinner parties to large corporate affairs. He was known for more than 30 years as a great cook and generous host, influenced early on by his mother, who was an accomplished cook and hostess herself.
 
“Funkin’ Duncan” was a lifelong music aficionado, finding great joy in sharing his vast knowledge of pop music with everyone, from his clever mix tapes and CDs to his time as a DJ at San Francisco’s Lone Star Saloon and his crowd-pleasing performances with Los Train Wreck at the El Rio bar in the Mission District. The San Francisco Giants also lost one of their greatest fans with Duncan’s passing. His love for baseball and dedication to his team was well known, as were his color-coordinated game day outfits, complete with his always matching bow ties. Duncan was rarely seen without a bow tie.
 
Duncan is survived by his loving partner, Ken Christy; sister, Ellen McCreight Grant (David) of Savannah; and brothers Andrew McCreight (Brenda) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Brian McCreight (Lori Bushnell) of Tampa, Florida, as well as a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and, of course, legions of friends.
 
Friends of Duncan are invited to a celebration of his life beginning at noon on Sunday, June 22, at Lovely Day, 4269 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94609. RSVP “will attend” to [email protected].