The Boathouse restaurant group announced today it will donate 10 percent of sales from each of its four restaurants to a fund established to help cover funeral expenses for Kevin Duncan, who died in June 2025 after choking on a steak at the Disney Springs location.
The donation, effective immediately, aims to assist the Duncan family with mounting costs, according to a statement released by Gibsons Restaurant Group, the owner-operator of The Boathouse. The move comes as the restaurant faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Reah Duncan, Kevin Duncan’s mother, alleging negligence contributed to her son’s death.
The lawsuit, initially filed in October 2025 in circuit court and later refiled in federal court on December 31, 2025, claims that Boathouse staff did not promptly call 911 after Kevin Duncan began choking on June 8, 2025. Instead, the suit alleges, staff initially contacted security, causing a delay in summoning emergency medical services. The complaint further asserts that this delay resulted in a lack of oxygen to Duncan, leading to cardiopulmonary arrest and his subsequent death the following day while on a ventilator.
Reah Duncan is seeking a jury trial to recover damages for lost income and support, funeral and medical expenses, and loss of consortium, in addition to legal fees and interest. Attorneys John Morgan and Edward Combs of Morgan & Morgan, representing Duncan, stated that “many serious questions remain on how the situation was handled, what safety protocols were in place, if employees were properly trained in the likely event a patron should choke, and whether delays or failures in response contributed to his death.”
Liz Lombardo Stark, a spokesperson for Gibsons Restaurant Group, offered condolences to the Duncan family but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. The Boathouse has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
Beyond potential legal recourse, financial assistance for funeral expenses is available through various avenues. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may provide burial assistance in cases of deaths directly or indirectly related to a natural disaster. The Social Security Administration offers a one-time lump-sum death benefit of $250 to surviving spouses or eligible dependent children, though this amount is unlikely to cover full funeral costs. Applicants must apply within two years of the worker’s death.
The New York State Survivor’s Benefit Program offers a minimum death benefit to survivors of eligible New York State employees, regardless of their participation in specific retirement systems. Eligibility requires full-time employment with a work week of at least 20 hours, or an annual salary equivalent to at least 1,000 hours at the state minimum wage, with salary paid directly from state funds. To qualify, an employee must have been on the state payroll for at least 90 days out of the 120 days preceding death, or meet other service requirements outlined in the program guidelines.
The CORE organization provides financial grants to restaurant employees with children facing hardship due to medical diagnoses, injuries, or the death of an immediate family member, potentially covering funeral expenses and related travel costs. The organization supports employees in a variety of food service establishments, including hotels, catering services, and restaurants.
As of Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the outcome of the motion to dismiss filed by The Boathouse remains pending in federal court.
