Philip Michael Duda

It is with deep sadness and enduring love and admiration that the family of Philip Michael Duda of Longmeadow, Massachusetts announces that he passed from this life due to Covid19-related complications on July 15, 2020 at the age of 78 years.
Phil will be forever cherished and lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Sondra L. Duda; his three sons, Philip Duda, Jr. of Paradise Valley, AZ; Craig Duda of East Longmeadow, MA; Cort Duda and his wife, Misty, of Longmeadow, MA; his grandson, Trenon Duda of Longmeadow, MA; his siblings Nancy Mangini of Avon, Connecticut, Linda Mandolesi and her husband, Steve, of Wilbraham, MA, Lawrence Duda and his wife, Terri, of Alto, Michigan, and James Duda and his wife, Gillian, of Pelham, MA; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and other family members and very dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, John Duda, Jr. and Simone Duda of Springfield, and by his brother Jack Duda of Brookfield, Connecticut.
Phil was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts and raised on his parents’ farm in Springfield. From an early age, he exhibited an adventurous, creative, and learning spirit, whether it was riding his horse to junior high school, scaring the wits out of his mom by climbing a 100 foot tree “out back” so he could see Westover Air Force Base, customizing his pink Impala convertible, or winning third prize nationally for his work on early computers in 1960 while still in high school. Phil graduated from Cathedral High School in 1961 and then embarked on a life-changing journey to Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee where he received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1966 and met and married his wife Sondra in 1965. Following graduation, Philip returned to Massachusetts to work with his father to grow the F&D Tool Co., Inc. in Three Rivers, MA into a thriving business. During this time, he worked nights and weekends to earn his Juris Doctor from Western New England College in 1977 and become a member of the Massachusetts Bar. He would then go on to train for and run multiple marathons, including Boston, New York, and Montreal, and obtain his pilot’s license in 1982. Phil was at heart a philanthropist who gave generously to his communities, donating to so many causes, receiving Rotarian of the Year in 1980, serving as President of the Quaboag Valley Chamber of Commerce from 1981 to 1982, as well as President of the Katama Association in Martha’s Vineyard, and leading the Colony Club in Springfield through its 100 year anniversary as its President in 2015. But Phil was also humbly religious, expressed in part as a longtime congregant of St. Mary’s Parish in Longmeadow and through his words of grace at many a family gathering. He lovingly cared for his four-legged friends, from his wonder-horse Sue and dog Barney as a teen, to his more recent schnauzer buddies Rhett, Bowser, and Lexi-Lee. Phil was generous with his resources and his time, and he was the embodiment of the saying, “if you want to get something done, ask someone who’s too busy”; Phil always had time to help his family and friends, whether it was rebuilding a friend’s home, discretely helping a kid who’d made a mistake get out of legal trouble, listening long into the night about the troubles of a loved one, or in the many other ways in which he quietly made the lives of others better.
Philip was a businessman, engineer, lawyer, runner, avid pilot, fair weather golfer, experienced traveler and, most importantly, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend who made the world a better place while caring for and loving his family and friends above all else.
Due to health concerns associated with Covid19, funeral services will be private and limited to immediate family. A memorial service to which all will be invited to remember and celebrate Phil’s life and legacy will be held at a later date. An opportunity to honor Phil with a charitable contribution will be offered at that time. Services are entrusted to Forastiere Smith Funeral Home. To leave a message of personal condolence visit www.forastiere.com.