Michael Clarke Duncan and Omarosa Plan To Marry in January

Sources connected with the couple tell us, Michael and Omarosa kept the engagement a secret from the media ... only telling very close friends and family about the pending nuptials.

We're told the couple had just started planning for the wedding when Michael went into full cardiac arrest July 13 and was hospitalized until his death.

We're told Omorosa is just destroyed after waging a valiant fight to save Michael. She had doctors flown in from all over the world but constantly worried if she was doing enough.