Susan (Happy) Duda
February 13, 1941 - January 08, 2025
Visitation: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 2-4 & 6-8 p.m.; Devlin Funeral Home, Inc., Ross Twp.
Service: Service and interment private.
Susan (Happy) Duda, age 83, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2025. The daughter of Kenneth and Eleanor Reed Happy, Susan was raised in Glens Fall, NY, and then Coxsackie, NY. After graduating from Coxsackie-Athens High School, she attended the University of Rochester, where she earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics, with a minor in psychology. It was at the University of Rochester where she met her husband, John Duda. After working a year at IBM in Poughkeepsie, NY, she married John.
The early years of marriage were ones of John completing his doctorate and teaching; the couple having four children; and Susan earning her master’s degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo, NY. Eventually, Susan and her family found their way to Erie, PA, where John began his tenure on the Gannon University faculty. There, Susan continued her education and taking courses to complete an accounting degree. She received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for her scores on all four sections of the CPA exam and was recognized for ranking in the top 100 in the country. She found a career in computers at Erie Insurance Exchange, from where she retired 24 years later as senior software engineer in the Information Technology Division.
Susan was a resilient woman, including handling the sudden death of John in May 2000 with strength and then overcoming a terrible automobile accident that fall. When she retired in 2005, she relocated to the Pittsburgh area. She soon after joined the Unitarian Universalist Church of North Hills, where she was active for many years, including serving as treasurer and as a member of the craft group.
Susan loved to travel, something that was part of her childhood, and a passion that she passed along to her children. Through the course of her life, she traveled all over the United States and to over 40 countries on six continents. She was always a generous woman, giving to charities and volunteering her time. Her creative side was exhibited in designing and knitting afghans for her family and in decorating her famous Christmas cutout cookies. Her children always remember her as belonging to a book club wherever she lived. Among her hobbies were putting together jigsaw puzzles, walking, and enjoying music.
She is survived by four children, Elizabeth (Edward) O’Connell of Elgin, IL; Kathleen (Victor) Washy of Ross Township; Deborah (James) Snyder of Indianapolis, IN; and David (Elsa Chiu) Duda of Gainesville, FL; four grandchildren, Philip Washy, Alexander Washy, Cecilia Duda, Maximilian Duda; her brother, Richard (Diane) Happy of New Vegas, NV; one nephew and two nieces. The family wants to thank the staff of Concordia at Villa St. Joseph for the tender care that Susan received at the end of her life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
My husband Lance and I enjoyed good times with Sue and John. Sue was so smart and I enjoyed her sense of humor. I am sorry to read of her death.
Betsy, my heart goes out to you with the loss of your Mom. 🫂
We shared a wonderful childhood together and as an adult, I have always admired her love of reading, travel and family. Definitely a life well lived! May my sister, Susan, rest in peace .
I will miss seeing Susan at Cumberland, may she rest in peace. prayer’s to her family.
I had the pleasure to work with Sue when I first joined Erie Insurance. My sincere condolences to her family.
Sue and I joined Erie Ins the same year. She continually made work fun through her upbeat humor and optimistic outlook. She had considerable technical gifts and shared them readily with newer engineers. My prayers for the family.
My heart felt condolences.
My condolences. Sue was one of the smartest people I had the pleasure of working with at Erie Insurance.
Exceptional person!!!!