Raymond Paul Haluda

Raymond Paul Haluda (88) passed away on Monday, April 24 at Memorial Hospital. He was born on October 14, 1934 to parents Felix and Genevieve (Skorupski) Haluda. On June 18, 1955 he married Elizabeth (Betty) Nalepinski in St. Adalbert Church. He is survived by his wife Betty, children Diane (Rob)James , Mark (Micki), Paul, John (Laura), Philip and Anthony Haluda, sisters Dolores Michalski and Loretta (Patrick) Williams, sister-in-law Betty Johnson and extended family members Candi, Cindy, Cheryl and Shelley. He was always looking forward to visits from the grandchildren Tina (Marcus) Chase, Matthew (Dawn) James, Sara, Andrew (Robyn) Haluda, Jeremy (Sarah) Haluda and Emily Haluda. The great-grandchildren Paige and Joshua James, Abigail, Aubrey and Jack Haluda and Gabriel Radabaugh were the highlight of his memories as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and 'adopted' sons who will miss his 'fatherly advice', as well as life-long friends Joe and Betty Kowalik. He has relinquished his position as Patriarch of the Haluda Clan to cousin David. Those who have gone before him were greeting his arrival: his parents, in-laws Frank and Mary Nalepinski, daughter-in-law Susan Haluda, brothers-in-law Ronald Michalski, Bernard (Josephine), Fred Nalepinski, sisters-in-law Gertrude Nalepinski and Loretta Rogers, grandparents, uncles , aunts and cousins.

His working career spanned a variety of areas from designing an ultra-light airplane to heavy axles for house moving. He loved every aspect of it and put his imagination into full gear. You never wanted to tell him you were going to start a new home project because he would have a computer drawing of his version of the project and a materials list ready before you even started pricing things out. He loved to start new home projects but never really completed them. After graduating from Washington High School in 1952, he began working at Studebaker and finished his full-time career at Coachman Industries when he went on disability retirement due to declining eye sight. Even in retirement he would continue to do work for many of his previous clients during the time of having his own design/drafting business. He had a fantastic imagination and problem solving ability.

His final rewarding contribution was to donate his body to the Indiana University Medical Center for upcoming doctors to learn. That was accomplished.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, May 27 at 2:00 at St. Adalbert Church with visitation at 1:00pm. He was a member of the former St. Mary of the Assumption Parish on Locust Road.

A very grateful family would like to thank the medical staff in the Emergency Room and the nurses on the 11th floor South for their kindness and compassionate care they gave Ray in his last few hours as well as Southwest Central Fire Department for their assistance. His 'senior humor' will be missed.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Adalbert Church, 2505 Grace St., South Bend, IN 46619 or IU School of Medicine, Anatomical Education Program, 635 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5120.

Posted online on April 28, 2023

Published in South Bend Tribune

04/28/2023 EJS