The same night Stan Musial died in St. Louis, an old friend died near Donora.
Veronica Duda, 98, was the strong and talented widow of Dr. Michael Duda, Musial’s mentor at Donora High, now long amalgamated into a district school. The Dudas, young and childless at the time, took to the shy athletic kid from one of the poorest families in the mill town. Musial had the slightest bit of a stutter from being made to write right-handed, as was the fashion back then. Musial was not a scholar, but he could play basketball and baseball. Michael Duda, known as Ki (he used to portray the Kaiser of Germany in childhood games), started a high-school team, partially to give the boy a chance to play spring baseball. Verne Duda was a trained violinist who had cut back on her performing to follow her academic husband a few miles from Latrobe to Donora. Teachers were treated with great respect in this community of newly-arrived ethnics. As hard as Donora was, people looked after each other. Musial had an instinct for finding role models – a man with an auto dealership who taught Musial how to carry himself; the basketball coach who taught them citizenship; a mill worker who ran the town baseball team and one day let the skinny batboy pitch. On Halloween evening in 1948, when Musial was already a star in St. Louis, Verne Duda was a queen of the parade, right down the busy main street of Donora. She noticed the normal bad air was getting worse but continued to toss apples and candy to the crowd – until news came that people were falling, and dying. It was the start of the Donora Smog that killed 18 people right away, not counting Lukasz Musial, who was taken to St. Louis, where he died in late December. Michael Duda became the president of the state college branch at nearby California, Pa. He was beloved, and died way too young. Verne remained friendly with Musial’s mother Mary -- went with her to Hollywood when Stan was honored on “This Is Your Life.” I caught up with Mrs. Duda a few years ago in a retirement apartment on campus. She was in a wheelchair and her eyesight was going, and she had misplaced some documents about her husband and their prize protégé. She did not lack for opinions, but her main one was pride in the boy from town who made his way in the world.
Brian Savin
1/28/2013 12:23:38 am
My hope is that the attention properly paid to Stan Musial's life and success in this, our last collective opportunity to think about him, is appreciated as the kernel of hope in the fairly tail of life. Baseball, like boxing, gave a few the opportunity to leave the mines, mills and city slums, and the choking in air in all these places. The players and their stories made baseball great. Musial may be exhibit A. I suspect he's rather be the model than the exception.
George Vecsey
1/28/2013 02:40:35 am
Brian, you make a good point. The way out for poor kids is hardly a justification for all the sleaze and weirdness of big time sports, but it is a point. I forgot to mention the librarian (Stash rarely visited the library) who urged him to follow his heart to baseball rather than college or the mill. 4/17/2013 01:02:42 am
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Although Stan was fortunate to have mentors and helping hands along the way, he had the good instinct to listen. He also developed the character to be sensitive to others needs and to give back to society.
George Vecsey
1/28/2013 08:08:02 am
Alan, you are back? You are absolutely right, Musial had an amazing sense of seeking mentors and learning from them. GV
Ed Martin
1/28/2013 09:52:35 am
On this theme. Joe Namath, another western PA. Athlete got in some trouble in downtown Tuscaloosa, perhaps beer was involved. In any event Bear Bryant sat him down for the Auburn game, the last game of the season and the biggest rival. Bama squeaked out a win. They were invited to the Sugar Bowl. Much to everyone's surprise, Bryant benched Namath for that game too. Bama won on four field goals, 12-7. Namath told me later it was the first time anyone had ever really stood up to him and it made a difference in his life. He has had his struggles, but is looking pretty good now. 6/6/2013 06:38:12 pm
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May her rest in peace. She seems like a very interesting woman and a very good wife. 4/22/2013 04:58:25 pm
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Daniel Duda
11/14/2014 04:10:05 am
I agree Verne Duda is a inspiring person I find encouraging the way she have choose to live her life. Great example for our childs! 7/27/2013 04:48:01 am
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On Halloween evening in 1948, when Musial was already a star in St. Louis, Verne Duda was a queen of the parade 8/5/2013 01:18:28 am
The Dudas, young and childless at the time, took to the shy athletic kid from one of the poorest families in the mill town. Musial had the slightest bit of a stutter from being made to write right-handed, as was the fashion back then. Musial was not a scholar, but he could play basketball and baseball. Michael Duda 8/5/2013 11:14:57 pm
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Verne Duda was a trained violinist who had cut back on her performing to follow her academic husband a few miles from Latrobe to Donora. Teachers were treated with great respec 8/13/2013 01:11:02 am
Verne Duda was a trained violinist who had cut back on her performing to follow her academic husband a few miles from Latrobe to Donora. Teachers were treated
Verenda Smith
8/14/2013 06:50:20 am
Congress has managed to get only 18 bills signed into law so far this year. One of the few named a new bridge over the Mississippi River as the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge. 8/17/2013 02:31:47 am
The Dudas, young and childless at the time, took to the shy athletic kid from one of the poorest families in the mill town. Musial had the slightest bit of a stutter from being made to write right-handed, as was the fashion back then. 8/24/2013 04:39:26 am
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Verne Duda was a trained violinist who had cut back on her performing to follow her academic husband a few miles from Latrobe to Donora. Teachers were treated with great respect 9/23/2013 07:14:45 am
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Musial had an instinct for finding role models – a man with an auto dealership who taught Musial how 10/3/2013 06:38:24 pm
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