Duncan Charles Crookston

Our Beloved son, brother and husband came into the world at 8 lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long, the largest of six boys. Duncan brought to our lives a happy, intelligent, inquisitive and articulate presence, constantly seeking to know not just the what, but the why and how of everything he encountered. Duncan was born and raised in Denver, and attended McMeen Elementary, Place Middle and Denver West High Schools, graduating in 2006. During part of his time at West, he played tennis and participated in the Center for International Studies program, where he would meet the love of his life and future bride, Meaghun. Duncan enjoyed many hobbies, but his passion by far was anything electronic, and especially computers. Duncan was truly gifted in this regard, and worked hard to learn as much as possible about digital technology and keep abreast of new developments in computer and electronic technology. Duncan was always willing to teach others what he had learned by explaining it well and making it look easy. Duncan also enjoyed cooking, and baked the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies on the planet. CPL Crookston began his military career when he enlisted in the United states Army on January 26, 2006, his 18th birthday. Duncan believed he should ""do something important, something to make a difference in the world."" Duncan scored high enough on entrance exams to have a choice of all but three jobs offered, and chose Infantry as he always welcomed a challenge. Duncan was sworn in on June 1, 2006, and completed Infantry basic and Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia in early September 2006. In October 2006, he received confirmation he would be assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, to be stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. Duncan was a third generation soldier, his maternal grandfather also having served in the Bid Red One and his mother, maternal uncle, paternal uncles and grandfather having served in the Army as well. Duncan and Meaghun wed on October 18, 2006, just prior to his deployment to Iraq, and were able to spend some quality leave time in May 2007 after he was deployed. Duncan was a thoughtful, helpful young man who was always there to help his battle buddies with electronic dilemmas, and shored them up with homemade bread he baked in a bread maker in his room at FOB Rustaminyah in Baghdad. On one occasion in Iraq, he was called upon to use his knowledge of electrical wiring, gained by working summers for his father's electrical contracting firm, to repair the air conditioning in one of the buildings on the FOB. Duncan was a music lover with eclectic taste, listening to everything from Billie Holliday to Metallica on his iPod. He and Meaghum shared a love of movies, and Duncan always managed to find the most interesting and thought provoking films out of the mainstream to share with us. Duncan shied away from the frivolous, as if he knew his time on earth was short, and worked to fill every moment with activity and opportunities to learn and grow. Even after sustaining grievous injuries during a mission in Iraq on September 4, 2007, he held on to life with both hands for five more months and always sought to connect with those around him. The nurses and doctors treating him a Brooke Army Medical Center often commented they were no longer willing to make predictions about what would happen next with his medical condition, as he often surprised them, as if to say, ""Watch this!"" Words fall short of expressing the loss the world has sustained with the passing of this courageous, intelligent and loving young man who gave his life for a cause he believed in - not to be noble, but because he believed good men had to act for good to triumph over evil. Duncan's contribution to the world and to those who knew and loved him in his brief but meaningul time on this earth is a gift his wife and family will treasure forever, as well as the memories of time spent with him. Duncan fought valiantly for freedom, and consequently for this life, losing the battle on January 25, 2008, one day shy of his 20th birthday. The pain and strife of this earth left behind, Duncan's sweet spirit lives on, even in our hearts.