Maureen Duba
Maureen Claire Duba
December 2nd, 1952 – March 6th, 2025
*Author’s Note: The following excerpts in our “Life Stories” are from the Celebration of Life service for Maureen Claire Duba for you to read, reflect, and pay your respects privately. It was an honor to help Maureen’s family pay tribute to her beautiful life. Mo will be dearly missed by many.
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All of us gather here today with broken hearts because Maureen, lovingly known as Mo, is no longer a physical presence in our lives. We have a powerful sense of loss. Where we are experiencing her loss- a missing piece- Mo is experiencing completeness- wholeness. May you know in your hearts that Mo’s journey is complete, she is home now in the loving embrace of our Lord in heaven. She is reunited with the many loved ones she had been missing including her parents, Eugene and LaVerne, her brother James, and her sister Mary. She is surrounded by love.
And while the broken pieces of your heart will never quite be the same, know that Mo would not want your heart to be troubled.
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I had the honor to sit with some of Mo’s family this past week to learn about her. What a wonderful lady! She was born in Waukegan, IL, the 5th child out of 8. She graduated from Holy Child Catholic High School. September 15th, 1973, Mo married Don Duba, her high school sweetheart. Don and Mo grew up in the same neighborhood together, and Don taught Mo how to drive a car. Together they physically built their own home in Gurnee, moving in in 1976- the bicentennial year. This home was a huge accomplishment for the young couple. The building continued as they built a beautiful family together, welcoming 4 children into their world.
Mo loved the years she spent as a homemaker raising her children. She enjoyed gardening, canning, and baking. She loved antiquing and attending craft shows. She collected old ceramic crocks and old books, and she never let anyone throw anything out. She was creative and talented with sewing, crocheting, and ceramics. Many loved ones received cherished homemade gifts, such as crocheted booties, dishcloths, and hand-painted porcelain Christmas wreaths, from Mo. Always kind and generous, Mo was a beautiful person, exuding warmth, devoted to her family.
As her children grew up, Mo assumed the bookkeeping responsibilities for the family business, Dependable Heating and Air Conditioning. Always busy, Mo was the true matriarch of the family- the glue that kept everyone together.
Mo was known to be stubborn and a bit particular, but everybody loved her. Daughter Becky recalled that mom wouldn’t allow her to fold sheets because she didn’t fold them correctly. Mo always made sure Christmases were extra special. Summertime meant hanging the laundry outside. She loved Diet Pepsi and hated vegetables. Mo cherished every moment with her grandchildren. In 2015, she and Don moved to a farm in Union Grove, WI. Mo loved life on the farm.
Mo was in the loving care of her dear husband for many years. Don, may you know in your heart that you successfully cared for the love of your life and that she is forever grateful for your love, kindness, patience, and dedication to her. You did everything in your power for your wife, and she knows that she was safe and loved.
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It does feel like Mo’s 72 years went by way too quickly. While no length of time with our loved ones will ever seem long enough, know that it was an absolute blessing to have had Mo present on this earth for over 7 decades. Her time here and her time spent with each of you was a precious gift. When your world is feeling a little too empty, may you fill it with gratitude that your time here overlapped with Mo’s and that you were blessed to know her.
I invite you to share the memories, share the love today and in the days and years to come so that Mo’s legacy may endure. Embrace and share with others the qualities of Mo that you love and miss so much. Spend time with your family, hand make a gift for a loved one, hang the laundry outside on a sunny day, and remember Maureen.
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Mo will be forever missed by her cherished family including her husband Don, her children Sarah, Becky, Donny, and Dan and their families, 7 grandchildren, her 5 siblings, and many other dear family members and friends. May you find yourself surrounded by Mo’s precious love always.
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Maureen, may you rest in eternal peace knowing you are dearly loved.
My sincere condolences and love, Holly
