Today (12/13/2023) my dad would have been turning 91. The last birthday we got to celebrate with him was when he turned 88 and it still feels like he left us way too soon. I’ve been spending the last couple of weeks decorating for Christmas, getting ready for our annual Christmas party which he and my mom always attended and can see his smile and hear his laughter around every corner. It’s been a very hard year with this being the first in which they have both passed on …. But all the joy filled years, the laughter, the traditions carried on …. all of these things keep them close in all of our hearts. Happy birthday Pampa. We miss you everyday but always keep your spirit alive in our hearts and memories. We love you. Forever in our hearts ❤️ 

Happy breakfast outing and coffee with my mom and dad with Bernadette Story.  

I saw this quote today …. And thought of my dad. We just celebrated Father’s Day (2021) and it was my first without my dad. I honestly feel …. My dad never held me back ….. and he never led the way either. But he was interested in what I did and I often think was entertained by my choices. He enjoyed my company and liked to hear my stories. He was absolutely “tickled” by all Mallory (my daughter / his granddaughter) did …. And even though … he often commented on my “sensitivity” …. I know he loved me. And also enjoyed my sensitivity. It was just a sign of my love. *heavy sigh*. I miss him. ♥️♥️♥️

DICK DUDA

“I never met anyone like him before”

By: Jim Scheidel, Son-In-Law

Dick Duda was my father-in-law of 29 years and I knew him a couple of years before that, when I first started dating his beautiful, intelligent on amazing daughter Marcy. I can honestly say that I never met anyone like Dick before… and that is meant as a compliment.

I first heard this stated as a compliment on National Public Radio, where a young Korean girl defied her parent’s expectations to go to college to become a doctor or a lawyer and pursued a career in the music industry. After years of struggle, she finally met some success in a rock band. Her mother said to her one day: “I have never met anyone like you before”. The daughter was first hurt by this comment, but then realized it was, in fact, a high compliment.

As you go through life you meet certain categories of personality types… Dick Duda fit none of those. He was extremely intelligent, but did not flaunt it, although I believe he often thought he was the most intelligent person in the room and, more often than not, he probably was. He constantly amused me with the things he would want to share at very random intervals during conversations that were often on a totally different topic.

While a scientist by trade (something to do with the measurement of light, for which he holds a patent – clearly above my pay grade), he would dabble in photography, stained glass, drawing, enameling and wood working coming up with ‘original’ and beautiful works of art that just might also be a bit quirky. Dick has a great sense of humor and was quick to laugh.

Dick also played a bit of guitar and apparently was learning Spanish in his later years. The only thing that I can think of that Dick did not like was cheese, which he would not partake of under any circumstances. Aside from the cheese, Dick was a true Renaissance man.

I never met anyone like Dick Duda before and I know I never will never meet anyone like him again.

I have lots of memories of your dad but the one that I think is the best is when HE decided that Marcy and I should take sailing lessons! It was after high school, and probably one summer while we were in college, and he found a Topper sailing course for us to take down at Marina del Rey. I don't remember even thinking twice, he thought we should take the class, so we did; easy as that!

We were terrible! We kept tipping over and falling in the water...pretty darn funny. But he came down and actually got a photo of us upright, HA, pretty amazing. I have no idea why he thought we should do it, but it was so much fun. In my mind it sums him up in many ways, he was always interested in things, always finding objects to show us and tell us about, and like Danny and Alison mentioned, always joking and laughing. I am sorry that I have not seen him in years, but he will definitely be with me and make me smile in memories.

Love and hugs to Marcy, Billie, Barrie, and Terri and all those that are there to support them - Jim, Mallory, and Ash and others that I don't know.

I grew up in El Segundo, fairly isolated from the world around me...until..in about 1975-76 a new (attractive) girl showed up in band class one day from "the outside" (Playa Del Rey).  At 16 my interest pretty much revolved around music, basketball, and girls (not particularly in that order) so when Barri Duda was looking around trying to figure out how to find and attach a lyre (music holder) to her saxophone, I gallantly jumped to help her!   Soon thereafter, the Duda family became my second family. I was at their house, watching TV in the back house, swimming in their pool, going on my first plane ride that I was old enough to remember (trip to Utah), and pretty much eating everything in their house everyday.  Mr Duda (many years before I could call him by name) was such a central figure in my everyday experience for all those years.  From him letting me drive their old red Rambler (got in big trouble with him when I let Barri drive it before she had her license and she got in an accident), to showing me all his inventions, light meters, and how to think and go outside my little box, try new things,  and look at the world in such a different way!  And laugh laugh laugh! It took a while to understand his humor, but Dad Duda found something funny in just about everything!  I can't really describe how he, and that whole crazy family, affected my life, brought me out of my shell, and put me on a path that I wouldn't have even known existed without them. Even after Barri and I went our own ways, Dick, Billie, Barri, Terri (or Teri or Tarrie depending on the year), and "little Marcy" stayed part of my life (Marcy even used to work for me at the Studio) and seeing them at Christmas every year is something we look forward to and really enjoy.  Its going to be hard to not have "Dad" there this year.  He lived a great life as evidenced by those, including me, that he helped raise and grow, and will always fondly remember him.  I don't know if I ever told him how much he influenced me...hopefully he knew.  Smart and funny, so many times he would start a conversation with "you know, if you...." and then go on with some strange factoid or trick or joke.  I miss him already.

Dick was a man of few words, from my perspective. But when he did speak, you would almost always laugh. I remember his humor and his ever present smile. I think that smile was his natural facial expression that permeated the room and make you feel at ease. I only got to see him once a year at Marcy and Jim’s Christmas bash, but it was the highlight to visit with him and Billie at that time. He will be missed, but at least I can still remember that smile that will always put a permanent smile on my face.