Karen Lois DuFort

Karen Lois (Duby) DuFort, 79 of Midland, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones, on March 25, 2025, at MyMichigan Medical Center of Midland. She was born to the late John "Budd" and Lorraine (Thibault) Duby on February 5, 1946, in Detroit, MI.
In her early career, Karen was a cashier for Giant Supermarket for 19 years, held several management positions in retail and as a plant scaping technician while living in Texas for 13 years. She moved back to Midland in 1999 and worked at Aramark/Service Master, then Northwood University as a custodian. Karen retired in 2019 from Northwood after 14 ½ years. She also cleaned houses and did landscaping jobs on the side for many years. Karen was married to Laurence "Larry" DuFort (1966 - 1973) and had 2 children: Troy and Ann-Marie DuFort.
Karen enjoyed reading, camping, swimming, working in her yard/gardens, had a love of cars and especially driving fast cars, and spending time with her family. She had a great sense of humor and was known for her tireless work ethic.
Karen is survived by her children, Troy (Leslie Wood) DuFort and their children, Cody and Hunter, of Beaverton, Ann-Marie DuFort of Midland and her daughter, Jade (Brandon) Rowcliffe of Naples, FL; her sisters: Nancy (Chuck) Ager of Midland and their daughter, Lori (Glenn) Isenhart of Beaverton, Gail Hardy of Ennis, TX, and her children, Clarence, Jr "CJ" (Theresa) Roup of Santee, CA, Charles Roup of Carrollton, TX, and Loralee (Corey) Mach of Ennis, TX; half-sister, Tammy Duby of Gladwin, and son, Trae Duby of Midland; sister-in-law, Christine Duby of St. Leon-Rot, Germany, and her sons, Andreas "AJ" (Lynnette) Duby of Charleston, SC, Stephan Duby of Sandhausen, Germany, and stepson, John "JB" Duby of Sanford; brother-in-law, Joe (Marilyn) DuFort of Midland; and several great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, and younger brother, John J. Duby.
A memorial Mass will take place at 11:00 am on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic Church with Father Stephen Blaxton officiating. Visitation with the family will take place at the Church from 10:00 – 11:00 am with the memorial Mass to follow. A luncheon with family and friends will follow the Mass in the Church school.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Association in her honor.
Smith-Miner Funeral Home is honored to be serving the DuFort family; to share a special memory please visit www.smithminer.com. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Karen, please visit our Tree Store.