The visitation for Walter Dudek will be be held at Anderson Memorial Home at 21131 W. Renwick Road in Plainfield on Monday, February 10, 2025, from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
The funeral service will be held at St. Mary Immaculate Parish at 15629 S. Rt. 59, Plainfield, Illinois, on February 11, 2025 at 10:30 am.
His burial will be private.
Employees who knew Walter and would like to attend the funeral will be given a paid Bereavement Day. If you plan to attend the service, please let your supervisor know by Monday.
Walter Ignatius Dudek – beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother – was called to his eternal home on February 4, 2025 from his residence in Romeoville, Illinois. He was born in Chicago to the late Ignatius Joseph and Angeline Dudek.
Walter is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Jo Dudek, nee Walker; his sons Stephen (Mary) Dudek, Michael (Jacqueline) Dudek, and Timothy Dudek; his daughter Kathryn (Adam) O’Leary; his grandson Stephen Dudek Jr; his sister Patricia (William) Mauk; his brother John (Kathleen) Dudek, and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, preceding Walter in death was his sister Theresa and her husband John Schneider and their daughter Suzy Stoneburner.
Walter graduated from the University of Illinois in 1960 with a Bachelor’s degree in Management. He was an alumnus of the Beta Chapter of the Phi Kappa Fraternity and a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus.
Walter went to work for Dudek & Bock Spring Manufacturing Company (founded by his father, Ignatius Joseph Dudek and his business partner Stanley Bock in 1946). He worked various positions under their tutelage before attaining the position of Executive Vice-President of Personnel. He then took over as President of Dudek & Bock in 1988 and held the position until his retirement in 2000. He took great pride in his many professional accomplishments and remained an active member of the Board of Directors and as a principle shareholder throughout his retirement, and even temporarily came out of retirement to be General Manager of an acquisition until health issues forced him to retire again.
Walter had a love for cars and boats and enjoyed golfing. His most treasured memories were of times spent with loved ones including fishing trips to Canada, skiing trips to the Rocky Mountains, and visits to Disney World, Grand Haven, Michigan, or Siesta Key, Florida. In his retirement, Walter could be found boating, at a local hobby store adding to his train collection, putting together puzzles, or simply spending time with his family.
Walter was a social butterfly loved by many. He had a wonderful sense of humor, loved life and all it offered, and had a warm and loving heart. The famous quote “a heart is not judged by how much you love, but how much you are loved by others,” was certainly true of Walter. It was being a husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, and uncle that he valued the most. His love was unconditional; even when disagreements arose, he never let them detract from the love he felt for those he cared about. No matter what, he was always willing to lend a supportive ear and offer what advice he could to those who needed it, and if he could, bring a smile or a laugh to another. He was happiest when those around him were happy. His smile was contagious.
Visitation will be held at Anderson Memorial Home at 21131 W. Renwick Road in Plainfield on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held at St. Mary Immaculate Parish at 15629 S. Route. 59, Plainfield, Illinois on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 10:30am. His burial will be private.
Applications for the 2025 SMI Scholarship Program are open from Nov. 1, 2024, through Jan. 13, 2025, at 3 p.m. CT.
The scholarship program for regular and associate members and their families is available to all full-time employees of SMI member companies. The program supports company employees and their dependent children who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.
Since the program started in 2011, SMI has helped nearly 200 students with awards of more than $400,000.
Administered by Scholarship America, this program offers up to five awards of $2,000 each from SMI. In addition, there are seven named awards ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 each.
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
• Academic record
• Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
• Honors
• Work experience
• Statement of educational and career goals and objectives
• Unusual personal or family circumstances
• An online recommendation
To apply, or for further details on eligibility, awards and required documents, visit learnmore.scholarsapply.org/smi.
Applicants will be notified of decisions in late February, with payments processed in August.
Dudek & Bock provides an opportunity for employees to receive a discount on health insurance. The company already pays about 80% of the cost of your medical insurance. The Wellness Discount is an additional amount that Dudek & Bock will pay to recognize employees’ effort to stay healthy.
The criteria for a wellness discount is a visit, sometime during 2024, to your primary care physician. If covered by Dudek & Bock insurance, your spouse will also receive a discount: $10 per pay period for an employee, plus $10 per pay period for your husband or wife. You can pick up the form on the table outside the HR office, or download a copy of the flyer here: