Mary Dudek

Mary (Therese) Dudek, age 80, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Peoria, AZ on Saturday, May 11, 2019. She was surrounded by family members and loved ones. Therese was born Oct 3, 1938 in Chicago, IL to Mary and Leo Gergits. She was the oldest of seven children, having 3 brothers and sisters. Growing up she liked to spend time with family, go ice skating at Moran’s park, and hang out at Callas Ice Cream Parlor. Therese married her husband Leroy on February 20, 1960. Together they liked to listen to music by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett; dance the jitterbug; and cheer on the Chicago Cubs and Bears. Therese lived life to it’s fullest. She was a dedicated and loving mother to Keith, Karen and Laura. She spent many hours in the bleachers, cheering them on at their baseball games, basketball games, track meets, scouting events, and plays. Leroy thought it might be fun for the family to start camping, and it didn’t take long for Therese and the kids to get hooked. They traveled around all of the Great Lakes and up into Canada, often with a caravan of neighbors. During this time, Therese worked at GE Credit in Highland, Indiana where she made some life-long friends. When they decided they were tired of the cold weather in the Midwest, they took a vacation to Arizona to visit Leroy’s parents. The rest is history. In 1986 Therese joined Southwest Gas Corporation as an accountant, and from there retired in 2001. Again, she made some great friends who she kept in touch with, even after retirement. Therese and Leroy eventually moved to Westbrook Village, where she absolutely loved going to water aerobics and meeting friends to play cards. She attended mass regularly at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. One of Therese’s passions was to travel. She especially loved sharing trips with her children and grandchildren. Some of her favorite spots were Ireland, New York, the Outer Banks, New Orleans, Cancun, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Alaska, and most recently Cuba. She and Leroy enjoyed escaping the heat in the summer to their mountain home up in Pinetop, Arizona. Other hobbies she enjoyed were reading and nice little trips to the casino! Therese remained interested and involved in her grandchildren’s lives. She loved each one for their uniqueness, and supported their different interests and activities with the same caring heart. Whether it was on the sports field, the hockey rink, the school auditorium, church venue, or karaoke bar….grandma Therese was her grandchildren’s biggest fan! On May 11th, Therese left us to join the loved ones who went before her, but she gifted us all with many memories that will make us smile forever. Therese is preceded in death by her sisters Margie, Pat and Kay, and is survived by brothers Tom (Joan), Jim (Kathy) and Tim; brother-in-law Earl; son Keith (Tina), daughters Karen (Mark) and Laura (David), grandchildren Bill, Natalie (Jennifer), Craig (Mishel), Kirk (Rachel), Kevin, Christian, Nicole and Stephanie; and great-grandchildren Mina and Connor. Memorial contributions may be made to Prime Care Hospice, 4225 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85019.