Where Food, Drinks & Stories Are Shared
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David "Hud" Hudson

May 20, 1955 - April 4, 2018
Mattawan, MI

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Visitation

Monday, April 9, 2018
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT
Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes
Kalamazoo Location
6080 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(269) 375-2900
Driving Directions

Service

Tuesday, April 10, 2018
10:30 AM EDT
St. Thomas More Catholic Parish Church
421 Monroe Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
(269) 381-8917

Committal Service following mass at Virgo Cemetery.

Please join Dave's family and friends following the committal service at Fletcher's Pub; 7177 Q Avenue; Kalamazoo.

Web Site

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

American Heart Association
3816 Paysphere Circle
Chicago, IL 60674
Web Site

American Diabetes Association
P,O. Box 7023
Merrifield, VA 22116-7023
(800) 342-2383
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Ambati
1830 S. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(269) 349-4961
Driving Directions
Web Site

Schafer's Flowers Inc.
3274 Stadium Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
(800) 760-7050
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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With a zest for life that was truly contagious, David “Hud” Hudson brought the world around him to life. He was an adventurous, free-spirited man who made it his mission to make sure that those around him loved life as much as he did. With unending devotion to his family and friends, everyone knew they could always count on Dave to be there in ways both great and small. While he loved traveling to amazing places, he was also just as happy to be at home, gathered around a bonfire with family and friends. Life will never be the same without Dave here, but he leaves behind a priceless collection of memories that his friends and loved ones will forever hold near and dear to their hearts.

It seems only fitting that Dave’s journey began during a time that was as colorful as he was. It was the 1950s when James Dean and Marilyn Monroe entertained us on the silver screen, and Elvis Presley took the music world by storm. Televisions were becoming part of our homes, and civil rights came front and center when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus. Amidst this exciting time was a time of great anticipation in the lives of Robert and Norma (Vallier) Hudson as they were expecting the birth of their new baby as the beauty of May unfolded in St. Ignace, Michigan, in May of 1955. The big day finally arrived on May 20th when the baby boy they named David R. drew his first breath. He was one of four children as he was joined in his family by his siblings, Debbie, Julie, and Frank. Although they spent many years living in St. Ignace, Dave’s father was in the service so the family moved around several times before finally settling back in Michigan. A student at local schools wherever they were living, Dave graduated from Mattawan High School in 1973. He entered the workforce when he was still a young man as he made fishing rods and reels with his father at Shakespeare Corporation.

From the time he was growing up Dave was a bustle of activity. There was 11 years between he and Frank, and Dave certainly did rub off on Frank. Dave was known to joke and banter with Frank; the teasing antics between the brothers are legendary tales that became a part of the exciting stories that Dave's siblings will always remember about what it was like to grow up with Dave. He was so proud of his first car - a 1971 Chevelle that he jazzed up himself by painting over the green paint with silver and black stripes when he bought it. Dave was a talented baseball player who was even scouted by the Detroit Tigers while in high school. He held the record of no errors in high school, which was tied by his brother, Frank, when he was in high school. Of course this was only because Dave taught Frank everything he knew about the game, and according to Frank, he was actually the better player.

New and exciting changes were in store for Dave when he met the woman of his dreams. Her name was Sharon, and they met in 1986 when she began working at Upjohn where Dave was working at the time. They started dating, and it was while they were still dating that she taught him to ski. Dave and Sharon enjoyed taking ski trips together even back then. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Dave and Sharon were married on March 14, 1993, in Hawaii on a cliff overlooking the ocean with a storm coming up behind them. They settled into their first home off Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo, and together they welcomed two children including Tyler on April 8, 1994, and Mara on August 11, 1998, into their hearts and home. Their growing family moved to the house they built west of Kalamazoo, which was a log cabin that many friends and family helped to build. Dave was a fun-loving father who was an active part of his children’s lives. He was a good mix of friend and disciplinarian. Tyler considered his father his best friend that he could confide in with any situation. It has been said that Mara was 100% her daddy’s girl. Dave was there for all of his kids’ softball and baseball games, and he wasn’t shy about being a sideline umpire at times. He called the plays, and he primarily saved his game commentary for later, except for the times he didn’t.

Life with Dave was certainly an adventure. As a family they loved heading out on the slopes, and Dave was hard to miss since he always skied in jeans, only having worn his ski pants once. In fact, his kids can rarely remember seeing him wearing anything but his jeans! Dave, his wife, and his kids also loved riding Harleys. Their family loved their vacation in Tahoe where they did plenty of sightseeing at various places around the United States at the same time. They also took a memorable family trip when they took a cruise to Hawaii as well as a favorite trip to Mexico. Dave absolutely loved the beach, and he did things like parasailing, riding an airboat, zip-lining, and visiting the zoos in the area. They took plenty of ski trips up North and also to Colorado both as a family and just with Dave and Sharon. Simple bonfires at home were also some of Dave’s favorite times with family and friends.

Throughout his life Dave always a man of many interests. In addition to taking Harley trips with his buddies including a trip to California with a stop in Colorado along the way. Daytona was another favorite vacation memory with just him and his brother Frank. Dave took bikes apart as a hobby, but putting them back together was work in his book. A music lover, he enjoyed a variety of things from classic rock to country, and he especially enjoyed attending concerts. Dave was singing all the time, and he always had music playing as well. Dave always sang while driving no matter the weather or the road conditions. He loved his Budweiser beer and Mexican food, too. A talented athlete, Dave played centerfield in slow-pitch softball on the Cask & Keg and the Rush-In Bar teams. Although he loved having fun, Dave also worked hard. He retired from Pfizer in 2016 as a logistics operator.

All who knew David “Hud” Hudson would agree that life was never boring when he was around. He was always reliable, and he was there for anyone, for anything, at any time. Full of adventure and stories, Dave was the sort of person who never met a stranger. He will never be forgotten.

David Robert Hudson, passed away at the age of 62 on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at Bronson Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Sharon (Mattingly) Hudson; 2 children: Tyler and Mara Hudson; his siblings: Debbie (Bill) Schmidt, Julie (Wayne) Roberts and Frank (Kris) Hudson; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. Visit with Dave’s family and friends on Monday (April 9) from 4-7 PM at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home; 6080 Stadium Drive; Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM on Tuesday (April 10) at St. Thomas More Student Parish; 421 Monroe Avenue, Kalamazoo. Burial will follow at the Virgo Cemetery. Join Dave's family and friends following the committal service at Fletcher's Pub; 7177 Q Avenue; Kalamazoo. Please visit Dave’s personal memory page at www.BetzlerFuneralHome.com where you can share a favorite memory or photo and sign his online guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association.

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