Teresa Duhaime

CLINTON TOWNSHIP - Teresa Duhaime, (nee Oravec), age 91, was called home to her Lord and Savior on August 24, 2025. She passed peacefully at home, surrounded by family, with a familiar smile on her face. 

Teresa was quite literally, ‘born a coal miner’s daughter’ in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania in1934. After losing her parents at an early age, she was left in the loving care of her nine older siblings, gaining an early and lasting appreciation, as a recipient of their charity and kindness.

Her determination and intellect earned her a scholarship to a prominent Catholic high school, where she landed the lead role in her senior production of Pride and Prejudice, something she fondly reminisced about all her life. After graduation, Teresa moved to Detroit to live with her sister Mary and dear niece Marilyn and later landed a job downtown as an operator at Michigan Bell.

Teresa met her husband Norman at a house party that she attended in the company of another date. While it was Norman’s handsome smile that first swept her off her feet, it was his strong work ethic, military service, and sense of humor that ultimately won her heart. They fell in love, married, and settled in St. Clair Shores, where they began building a large family of their own.

Together, she and Norman raised five children: Norman Jr. (Annette), Mark (Kathryn), James (Jennifer), Janice (Fred Wesdorp), and Paul (Kate), who in turn blessed them with eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. As a matriarch, Teresa always balanced love with discipline, providing strong guidance toward righteousness and following a faith-based approach to raising her family.

Beyond her devotion to her family, Teresa enjoyed camping, Christmas shopping, and spending time at the family cottage in northern Michigan. She was active in her community, dedicating time and leadership to L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, where she served as PTA President and later worked as a coordinator of substitute teachers.

Teresa considered herself lucky; she enjoyed games of chance and was always thrilled to walk away a winner at bingo, including the time, after ten years widowed, she met her later-life companion in Stan. Teresa and Stan shared many adventures together over 21 years, and it wasn’t uncommon to hear that an afternoon drive somehow landed them at Soaring Eagle Casino, where they enjoyed VIP status and complementary stays.

In recent days, Teresa expressed satisfaction with the life she lived. She said she would miss us, but she very much looked forward to reuniting with Norman in Heaven. His gain is surely our loss, at least for now. We entrust Teresa into the arms of our Heavenly Father, where she may rest in eternal peace.

In tribute, the family welcomes, in lieu of flowers, donations made in her name to the St. Paul of Tarsus Chapter of the Knights of Columbus.