Colleen M. Duga's Obituary
Colleen Marie (LeMieux) Duga’s spirit peacefully left her body Saturday night, October 15, 2016, with her family by her side. She has been battling COPD for several years. After she quit smoking eight years ago, she often scolded family members who still smoked.
She was born March 18, 1946 to Dr. Alfred C. “Bud” LeMieux and Kathryn C. (Delaney) Lemieux-Clinard. Colleen attended Grand Haven High School and Muskegon Community College. She was a member of the VFW Post 2326 Auxiliary in Grand Haven.
Colleen loved God and her family more than anyone. Although she sometimes walked on the wild side, she instilled strong values into her children and grandchildren. She always made sure her children were blessed with swimming pools throughout the years they were growing up.
Though not a church-going person in recent years, God was most important to Colleen. She belonged to a Pentecostal prayer group in the 1970s and regularly attended St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s
In 1977, she made her husband quit his eleven-year job at Oldberg Manufacturing Company so their family could move to married housing in Ann Arbor and he could secure an engineering degree at U of M. Colleen supported her family during those school years by babysitting.
A burst of energy throughout the 1980s, begun by helping her children with school projects, turned into a hobby that eventually became a short-term business called Taper Moon Creations. The results were numerous “creatures” and characters that Colleen sculpted, and to this day surround her pool and her home that she helped restore in the 1980s. They continue to delight visitors who come to Grand Haven.
She is survived by her children: Sean Duga and Scott (Heidi) Duga of Grand Haven, and Lisa (Joe) Berger of Grand Rapids; as well as her grandchildren: Stephan (Alex) Duga and Donovan Duga of North Carolina; Sophia Berger of Grand Rapids; Zachary Duga, Merrick Duga, Hannah Stone, Brendan Duga, Xavier Duga, Kathleen Duga, Alexander Duga, and Dustin Hasty, all of Grand Haven. She is also survived by her former husband and best friend, Stu Duga. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Fredrick C. LeMieux; her beloved son, Stuart Duga, Jr.; her niece, Caesy LeMieux; and her very good friend, Lennette Brunker.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM Thursday, October 20, 2016 at VanZantwick Bartels Kammeraad Funeral Home in Grand Haven with Rev. Father Dave Gross officiating. Visitation will be 5-8 PM Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at the funeral home. Interment will take place in Lake Forest Cemetery. Memorial contributions in memory of Colleen may be given to Caesy LeMieux Scholarship Fund at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation. Please sign the family’s online guestbook at www.vbkfunerahome.com.
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