Eva “Trudy” DeLuke – April 30, 2023

Eva “Trudy” DeLuke made her journey to the Lord, April 30, 2023. She passed away peacefully in her home just one week after her 88th birthday.

Born in Barnwell, South Carolina, on April 19, 1935, Trudy was raised to become a true southern belle by two hard working parents with German, Irish, and Scotch heritage. Growing up in the south left an indelible impression on Trudy who never lost her taste for sweet iced tea, pecan pie, Mississippi Mud, living with grace, and conducting herself as a lady at all times.

She began working at Southern Bell as a telephone operator at the age of 18 in the nearby city of Charleston, South Carolina. Her strict but caring father worried that the city would be unsafe for his daughter, but ever so confident, Trudy persisted. One evening while walking home from work with her girlfriends, she made the acquaintance of a strapping young sailor named Johnny DeLuke. He was handsome, wildly charming, and impossibly funny, lacing a new joke into the conversation every few moments. It was love at first sight. The couple wed on October 31, 1956, while Johnny was on leave before deployment.

For a few cold winters, the young couple lived in upstate New York near the DeLuke family farm where they welcomed their first child, a daughter, named Cindy. In that time, Trudy learned to cook “Italian” style as she would say, practicing the family’s secret spaghetti and meat sauce recipe under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law. Before long, the couple packed their bags and headed for Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the next few years, they welcomed a daughter, Cheryl in 1961, followed by a son, John in 1964.

Trudy returned to work once the children were in school at Mountain Bell as an operator. Later the company changed to AT&T and Trudy became an administrative clerk until she retired in 1989. All the while, the house on Brookside Hill became a beacon of love and community for the family and wide circle of friends they would come to make. There were annual summer BBQ’s in the backyard, coffee visits in the warm yellow kitchen, birthday parties in the living room, and of course highly coveted spaghetti dinners every Christmas with family all around. Even with three children, ten grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and all those friends in and out of the house, Trudy kept the home in immaculate condition. The velvety mauve carpet stayed plush and spot free for over 50 years. The pink sofa and swivel chair that proudly sat in the formal sitting area are both still in perfect condition today thanks to those high expectations. Her family will never forget the elegant woman that taught them the value of caring for what one has and taking pride in oneself. Nor will they forget the importance of being quick-witted and fast with a comeback. After 59 years of marriage to a husband who literally never stopped telling jokes, Trudy had to have an incredible sense of humor. Her grandsons pushed this fact to its limit one year when they tried to bounce a quarter off her perfectly coiffed (and heavily hair sprayed) pompadour. Luckily for them, the quarter did bounce off, and grandmother laughed; thus, a new grandchildren’s tradition was born.

Trudy loved spending time cooking, teaching the girls in the family the “Secret” Italian family recipes, reading, and trips to Cripple Creek with her girlfriends.

Trudy was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles and the AT&T Pioneers.

Life changed suddenly in 2016 when her beloved husband, Johnny passed away. From that moment forward, Trudy has wanted nothing more than to join him in eternity. While her family has lost their matriarch, they know that the incredible couple that created their entire world is finally together again. Trudy is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Johnny, 2016; her parents, Emmett and Margaret Warren; brother, Pastor Jim Warren; and brother-in-law, Wes Wenzel.

She is survived by two sisters: Mary Bonati and Kay Wenzel, and sister-in-law, Gail Warren. Daughters: Cindy (Tom) and Cheryl (Harold); son, John DeLuke, Jr. (Peggy); grandsons: Matthew Martin, Andrew Martin (Kim), Patrick Martin (Kristin), Dan Martin, and Jordan (Emily) Seidl, Eric and Logan DeLuke; granddaughters: Tiffany (Mark) Gossett, Michelle (Jarod) Fuhrman, and Jennifer Endres; great-grandsons: Xalin, Dylan, Damion and Jeter; and great-granddaughters: Nicole, Danyka, Alina, Eva and Mia.

At Trudy’s request a celebration of life will be held at 12 noon on Monday, May 8, 2023 at the Eagles Club, 1050 South 21st Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado. A light lunch will be served by the women’s auxiliary.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made at any ANB Bank to the Trudy DeLuke Memorial Fund. These contributions will be used to support eye related charities as Trudy struggled from Macular Degeneration.