Dudley, Lena Mangione
Lena (Lee) Mangione Dudley, 81, most recently of Athens, Ga., formerly of Blacksburg, Va., died after a short illness on Thursday, March 29, 2007.
She had lived in Blacksburg and Christiansburg for many years, and retired from Federal Mogul in 1987. After living in North Carolina a short time, in 1990 she moved to Georgia to be near a daughter. She was born Lena Concetta Mangione in New York City to Italian immigrant parents Giovanni and Giussepina. She grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended Girls’ Commercial High School in Brooklyn, which was adjacent to Ebbet’s Field.
She is survived by four children, Linda Dudley (Jerry Cherry) of Athens, Ga., Dori Smith (Rupert) of Palm Desert, Calif., Angela Helwig (Steve) of Bogart, Ga., and Darrell Dudley of Athens. She is also survived by a brother, Angelo (Chic) Mangione; and a sister, Jenny LoDico, both of Massapequa, Long Island, N.Y.; and was preceded in death by a sister, Mary Lauro, Mattituck, Long Island, N.Y.; and a brother, Frank Mangione of Saugerties, N.Y. Ms. Dudley also has seven grandchildren, Roger Akers, Wake Forest, N.C., Stephanie Wirt of Athens, Amanda Gland (Steve) of Christiansburg, Emily Thrasher (Michael) of Aiken, S.C., Stacey Akers (Jason Bridgman) Matamata of New Zealand, Michael Slusher of Athens, and Kelly Combs of Christiansburg. Her three great grandchildren are: Nikki Gland of Christiansburg, Gia Thrasher of Aiken, and Nola Bridgman of New Zealand. There are also numerous nieces and nephews and a large extended family. She was divorced from Harold E. Dudley of Blacksburg, who was the father of her children.
During World War II, she worked as a receptionist in the aerospace industry. While in Virginia, Dudley had a career in manufacturing, first as a quality-control inspector and then achieving the distinction of being the first female machinist at Federal Mogul in Blacksburg. She was an activist who helped employees at the facility organize and become members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. She also served as union secretary there for many years before retiring; and served once as a delegate to Virginia’s Democratic Convention.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 2, 2007 at McCoy Funeral Home Chapel. Father Jim Arsenault of St. Mary’s Catholic Church will officiate. Interment will be in the Snider Family Cemetery in Blacksburg (Prices Fork) following the service. There will be no visitation. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or Hospice. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Dr., Blacksburg.