Katye Jo Duderstadt, 71, of San Antonio, died Sunday, August 17, 2014, following a sudden massive heart attack as she visited with friends on the veranda of the Grand Canyon Lodge at the Grand Canyon North Rim.
Katye was born in San Angelo, Texas to Katye May and Temple J. Duderstadt. She entered first grade in Fredericksburg, Texas and graduated from Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Katye earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Trinity University (San Antonio, TX) a B.S. in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL) and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law (Houston, TX).
Upon graduation from Trinity in 1965, Katye was employed as a case worker in one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in Houston. She then served four years as a civilian employee with the Department of Army Special Services as a director of military service clubs in Seoul, South Korea and Darmstadt, West Germany. Upon returning to the United States and receiving her degree in the Administration of Justice, Katye worked as a supervisor for the Texas State Board of Pardons and Paroles in Houston. After deciding upon a career change, Katye continued to work fulltime as a supervisor and attended night classes at South Texas College of Law.
After earning her law degree, she spent her entire legal career with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a Federal Administrative Judge, first in Houston and later in San Antonio. She retired from the EEOC in January of this year (2014).
Katye loved life! She loved everything about life!
She loved animals, and plants, and trees and art and architecture and music and museums and science and history . . . everything!
However, what Katye loved most about life were PEOPLE. Katye was absolutely devoted to her family and her friends. She was interested in everyone she met.
Katye had traveled widely and she had a genuine appreciation for people worldwide. She was keenly aware that many people in our country and throughout the world have few opportunities for education and have difficulty meeting even basic needs. She felt it was just happenstance and good fortune that she had many opportunities available to her. Katye was grateful for every single thing in her life and often said how fortunate she was.
Katye believed it is empathy that enables us to have some understanding of what it might be to walk in other peoples' shoes. She could appreciate other peoples' struggles and challenges and disappointments and losses because she had encountered these herself.
Always trying to make life better for others is what fueled her passion for social justice - equality of opportunity for all. She believed that education is the key to a better life and that quality health care should be available to all. Katye gave of herself, her time and her personal financial resources to help others. All her working life she financially assisted deserving persons who desired to further their education. She helped many people who were without adequate resources obtain the medical treatment they needed. Katye loved people and looked for any opportunity to help; sometimes in a large way and sometimes in a small way, and sometimes with just a smile and a word of encouragement.
Katye is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Edward Zey of Fredericksburg and Boerne; her niece Chelli Zey of San Antonio; her nephew and his wife, Eb and Chris Zey and their two daughters, Taylor Ruth Zey and Meredith Kate Zey of Corpus Christi; her cousin Sandra Lem and husband John Lem, of Houston; Virginia Barr, dear friend to Katye and the Zey family; and, Heidi Rainer (always a special place in Katye's heart) and husband Dirk Rainer and their children, Nicholas and Katye Morgan of Kyle, Texas.
A visitation was held at Porter Loring in San Antonio. In keeping with her wishes, Katye's body was cremated. Interment of ashes will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Fredericksburg, TX.
