Duncan Pitman grew up in Prince George. Following his release from army duty in 1945, he returned to UBC and completed his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics. After graduating, he was awarded a fellowship to Purdue University, where he completed his master’s degree in mathematics.

In 1949, he accepted a job in Southern California in the blossoming aerospace industry, where his Control Theory led to advancements in missile systems’ guidance and control. In 1957, Duncan was selected by Douglas Aircraft to represent the company on the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, which was responsible for advising President Eisenhower on advances in aircraft and space-related technologies. He was selected to give seminars on Deep Space Navigation at Cal Tech University. 

In 2016, at the age of 96, he passed away. He often reflected on how his contributions to cold war missile systems ultimately found purpose in launching weather and communication satellites that today save lives and advance our understanding of our universe.