Josephine Duda

Josephine Duda (née Polak) Born at home on October 31, 1919, to Mary Ksiazek and Joseph Polak, Polish immigrants, Josephine was raised in the Polish neighborhoods along Michigan Ave in SW Detroit. She attended public schools, Hanneman and Munger, and attended Chadsey High School for two years before leaving school to work at Detrola, a radio manufacturer. It was the Great Depression and Josephine needed to help support her family. Josephine met Walter Duda before the war and soon became engaged. Walter was drafted into the Army and spent WW2 fighting in Europe. During this time, Josephine spent four years on the midnight shift at the Packard plant packaging bomber parts. Josephine was, in fact, a “Rosie the Riveter”. When the war was over Walter and Josephine married. In 1952 they bought a new home together in Redford. They had three sons, but tragically, Walter passed away in 1955, a few months before their third son, Brian, was born. That summer in 1955, Josephine learned to drive. She was eight months pregnant. Josephine’s small home eventually came to include her mother Mary, her sons Walter, Kennard and Brian, her brother John, a boarder and eventually her brother’s two children, John and Paul. It was a very loving household. Josephine worked as a computer inspector at Burroughs from the mid-fifties until her retirement in 1982. Josephine was predeceased by her brothers Ben and John and is survived by her three children, Walter (Andrea), Kennard (Barbara) and Brian (Patricia), grandchildren Alexandra Randall (Jason), Matthew (Lisa), Nicholas (Katie Crawford), Christopher (Holly), David, Alexander and Anastasia, and great-grandchildren Jordan and Kendra. Josephine was a wonderful mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and mother-in-law. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, services will be private at this time. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to a local food bank in this time of crisis.