Dudek’s Legacy Lives on Through Scholarships

Sometimes the simplest act of kindness can have the most profound long term impact on a community.

Clelan “Lee” Dudek was truly a renaissance man. Lee was a World War 2 Veteran, 1966 Las Vegas World Champion Gem Faceter, 1958 NRA 38 Caliber Short Range Champion, Private Airplane Pilot and much more. Regardless of what the project was, Lee was a person of many talents and knowledge. Lee and his wife Luella, built their dream home, refurbished his antique airplane to mint condition, grew his own vineyard, fashioned his own distillery and created his own unique wines and brandies. Lee and Lu often traveled to Baja Mexico to find gems, tile, and other materials to decorate their home. Lee truly could do it all.

Lee and Lu owned and operated Lee’s Refrigeration Company for over 50 years, serving countless businesses in the Pendleton area with expert service and instillation of commercial refrigeration and cooling systems. Lee had immense pride in doing any job right. Lee passed away at the age of 92, barely 3 months after losing his beloved wife. Lee and Lu decided that their worldly assets should be left to start a scholarship fund for young people in the Pendleton area. Lee was adamant that young people should learn a skill or trade. Lee often said “there was much satisfaction in learning how something worked and in how to fix it.”

Lee and Lu had no children, but that’s not the end of the story. The Dudek story will live on forever with the Dudek Scholarships through the Pendleton Foundation Trust. The Pendleton Foundation is honored to be the recipient of the Dudek’s generosity and foresight to provide several scholarships to Pendleton students that will make a lasting impact in our community.

One has to ask the question. What is our legacy, and how can we make a difference that will last forever?