Our dear beloved Jackie Duggan, of Richlandtown, Pa., passed away peacefully early on Saturday, July 29 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Pavilion, in the presence of her husband, Michael Runyan, and son, Bruce Runyan. She fought a short but intense fight against cancer with confidence, hope, and a positive attitude, and was a true inspiration to anyone who witnessed it.
Jackie leaves in her wake thousands of people who would recognize her beauty, charm, and humor in a second. She spoke and listened from the heart and reminded people of their kinder selves, always. A lover of good people, good times, good food and drink, she was comfortable just about anywhere in the world and could relate to all whom she met.
Jackie’s father and mother, Jack and Myrie Duggan, relocated to the Bucks County area from Jackson Heights, Queens, N.Y., when their children were very young. Jackie and her brother, David, grew up in Doylestown, Pa., attended Doyle Elementary, Lenape Junior High, and Central Bucks West High School, where she played field hockey. Her college years were spent at the University of Pittsburgh studying journalism, which set her on a path to public relations work in Chicago and then New York City.
Mike and Jackie met as she finished college, and they both lived in Chicago and NYC, establishing a strong relationship that would last until today. In the early 2000s, they both decided to change careers and became teachers for the NYC Dept. of Education. Jackie gained her master’s in education from Queens College and then moved back to Bucks County, taking a position as a seventh grade English teacher in Souderton Area School District’s Indian Valley Middle School in 2005. Jackie has been a part of that community ever since and has been a valued, loved and respected faculty member. Tales of her holding classes enthralled with her personality and teaching style were told again and again over the years, with some former students crediting her for sending them into teaching as adults.
Jackie was a loving, attentive mother to her son, Bruce, who is now 10 and entering fifth grade. They would spend the entire summer together, day after day, relaxing, playing, traveling, reading … she was the perfect mother for her wonderful son. On any given day, year round, she could be found having a catch with Bruce in the backyard, committing thousands of hours and fueling his passion for baseball. She also gave him the gift of humor and clearly passed on her extrovert genes. Her grace and positivity are evident in her son, and he will surely share those gifts with the world.
As for Jackie’s husband, best friend, and co-conspirator, Mike, she gave him crucial amounts of support over the years, through good times and bad. Their wedding vows addressed the difficulty of long-term commitments, but their promise to stand together and protect each other no matter what life sent them was never broken. They enjoyed adventures together through nature, nations, food and drink, the arts, and rock and roll. And they loved being down the shore together, any day of the year.
In addition to Mike and Bruce, Jackie will be deeply missed by her mother, Myrie (Quakertown, Pa.) and brother, David (Upper Gwynedd, Pa.), as well as her extended family in Ireland and the U.S. She will also be missed by everyone involved with the Quakertown Youth Baseball Association where she is known for her love of working in the snack stand. Her many close friends and acquaintances, alike, will remember her always as sassy, kind, and living in the moment.
A remembrance was held on Saturday, Aug. 5 and many turned out to celebrate Jackie. If you would like to make a donation to the family in her memory, please contact Quakertown Outreach Organization through Facebook, or by US Mail to: P.O. Box 929, 18955.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
