Judith A. Duke

Judith A Duke, 66, of Ballston Lake, died Friday October 29, 2010 at Saratoga Hospital surrounded by her loving family and dear friend Dave Smigler.
A longtime area resident, Judi was born in Sioux City, Iowa but moved to the Northeast when she was a child. She received her BA from Empire State College where she also worked for many years in administration. For the last 6 years, Judi worked at the NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Judi also volunteered for many years for the Saratoga Emergency Corps, working as an EMT, dispatcher and driver. As a volunteer lobbyist for the NY Adoption Group, Judi was the driving force behind repeal of the fee charged to registrants at the State's Adoption Information Registry, and of the law expanding the Registry to include siblings as well as adult adoptees and birth parents. She was an avid Elvis fan. Judi is survived by her children, Debra Duke of Guilderland, Thomas Duke of Albany and Catherine Duke of Westbury, Long Island, as well as by her birth mother Betty Jo Hufnagle and her siblings John Muhl, Anita Simmons, Kathleen Hiller and Mary Therese Bailey. She was predeceased by her husband Paul Duke, as well as by her adoptive parents Lyell and Mae McKenna. Visitation will be held Wednesday November 3, 2010 at New Comer Cannon Funeral Home located at 343 New Karner Road Colonie, NY 12205 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm followed by a service at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at our Lady of Angels Cemetery 1389 Central Avenue Albany, NY 12205. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.NewcomerAlbany.com
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Judi's memory to the American Lung Association 155 Washington Avenue Suite 210 Albany NY 12210 (www.lungusa.org).