Kathleen (Kathy) Marie Dudas passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones on November 8th, 2024. Kathy was born in 1954 in Santa Rosa, California, to William (Bill) Grimes and Earlene Grimes. She attended Riley School and Boston Junior High and graduated from Richmond High School in 1972. Shortly after high school, she got a job with Alcoa and began her career as a proud American Steelworker. Back then, you would often find Kathy cruising around town listening to music in her beautiful white 1974 Dodge Challenger.
In 1975, she put a car seat in her challenger and welcomed her first child. In 1978 she married her husband, John Dudas and they had two more children together. Kathy brought up her children, Jessica Creech (Clark), Gabriel Dudas (Michelle), and John Dudas Jr. (Cera) to put family first, to stay true to yourself and to bow your head, say a prayer, and weather the storm when things got tough. She will always be remembered as the rock of her family.
Later in life, after 30 years at Alcoa (Silgan), she retired and reinvented herself as a student, enrolling in classes at Sinclair and IU East. She also became an avid gardener and spent a lot of time working in her flower beds. She was always proud to show off her beautiful lilies, tulips, irises, and sunflowers. Her family will cherish the garden that she left behind for years to come.
Kathy had a talent for flower arrangement and decorative crafts. She had an artist's eye and created stunning wreaths and bouquets. She spent the good years of her retirement with John, her husband of 46 years, at the Richmond farmers market as well as various area craft shows. Together they created "Grandma and Grandpa's Place" and sold their creations to the community.
Kathy embraced her role of being a grandma to eight grandchildren. Avah Creech, Jack Dudas, Josslyn Dudas, Atticus Creech, Lucy Dudas, Channing Dudas, Penny Dudas, and the baby Teddy Dudas. She loved being a grandma and always wanted to make each of her grandchildren feel that they were her favorite.
Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, her mother and father-in-law, Micheal and Anna Dudas, her beloved brother William (Skip) Grimes, and her brother-in-law Tony Rothert along with many other special relatives. Also left to celebrate her memory are her devoted sisters Terri Crawford (Lester), Margie Grimes, Debbie Nelson, Rhonda Grimes, and her brother-in-law Steve Dudas. Many nieces, nephews, and cousins will also mourn the loss of this gentle soul.
"When you are born, you cry and the world rejoices. When you die, you rejoice and the world cries."
Services for Kathy will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday November 13, 2024, at Riggle-Waltermann Mortuary. A public visitation will be held prior to the service on Wednesday from 11:00 am until the start of the service at 1:00 pm at the funeral home.