Amy Duchac’s handmade cards were never just paper and glitter.
For more than 20 years, the Oak Creek woman used them to celebrate birthdays, comfort grieving families, encourage friends through illnesses and remind people they were loved. Sometimes, she would even tuck a scratch-off lottery ticket inside for an extra surprise.
Now, months after her death from cancer, her husband is making sure those cards — and the kindness behind them — continue reaching mailboxes across the community.
“She lived by that motto, just helping people,” Perry Duchac said. “She loved the community, she loved family, of course she loved me, haha.”
Perry and Amy Duchac were together for 43 years. Their anniversary was just last week.
He described Amy as someone who never rushed through conversations and always made time to listen to people. Whether it was volunteering in Oak Creek or sending a thoughtful card to someone having a hard time, Perry said making others feel cared for came naturally to her.
“She’s a rare breed in today’s time,” he said.
Amy was deeply involved in the Oak Creek community for years. She helped organize Crime Stoppers and National Night Out events and was named Oak Creek Citizen of the Year in 2011 for her volunteer work.
But one of the things she became most known for among friends and family was her handmade cards.
Perry said Amy started making them more than two decades ago with her cousin. The two would spend an entire week together every year crafting cards for birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses and holidays.
“Amy would probably make close to 500 cards a year of all different varieties,” Perry said. “She had all the stamps, the paper, the glitter.”
Between their large families and wide circle of friends, there was never a shortage of people to send them to.
“If there was someone who was sick or needed some cheery note, she would send a card saying, ‘I’m thinking of you,’” Perry said.
That tradition continued even after Amy received devastating medical news.
Perry said Amy went in to get her hips checked out and doctors ordered blood work. That is when they learned she had stage four Müllerian cancer, a rare cancer similar to ovarian cancer that had spread to her liver.
Amy battled the disease for three years. Perry said she underwent eight rounds of chemo infusions, took two different chemotherapy pills and kept fighting until the very end.
“She was a fighter right til the end,” he said.
Amy died Sept. 9, 2025.
After her death, Perry wondered how many of Amy’s cards were left. He reached out to Amy’s cousin — the same cousin who had spent years making cards alongside her — asking if there were any remaining.
Instead, she offered something else.
“She goes, ‘We can make cards together,’ and I go, ‘Here’s something I thought I would never be doing,’” Perry said with a laugh.
Soon, a group of women connected through the Oak Creek Community Center stepped in to help.
Together, they made around 150 new cards.
The women also carried on one of Amy’s favorite traditions by placing scratch-off lottery tickets inside the cards. Cards also included handwritten notes explaining why they wanted to help continue Amy’s mission.
Reading one of those notes aloud, Perry smiled.
“She was a force to be reckoned with,” he read. “She had a heart of gold.”
Perry said the outpouring of support has been emotional and overwhelming.
“They knew that Amy loved doing this and it was pretty special,” he said.
Now, he spends the beginning of every month making and organizing cards, placing sticky notes on envelopes to remind himself when each one needs to be mailed.
“I’ve taken on this role and I’m committed to this,” Perry said.
What started as a way to preserve Amy’s tradition has also become part of his grieving process.
“I think that’s one of the reasons I’m doing it,” he said. “I feel her. I feel her presence while I do it.”
Perry said continuing the cards helps him feel connected to his wife while also helping him move forward after losing his soulmate.
“This process of losing your soulmate, this is one of the steps of moving forward and having her close to me,” he said.
He said one of the most meaningful parts is hearing from people who thought they would never receive another card after Amy died — only to find one in their mailbox again.
There has also been growing interest from others wanting to volunteer and help continue the project through the Oak Creek Community Center.
And in a world filled with quick texts and notifications, he believes there is still something powerful about opening a handwritten note made with care.
If you are interested in volunteering, sharing your skill and spreading kindness, reach out to the Oak Creek Community Center at kim@occenter.com, online at www.occenter.com or call 414-768-5840.
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