Robert J. “Bud” Puariea, 93, Plover, died Friday, March 8, at Riverview Lodge in Stevens Point.
Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Shuda Funeral Home in Plover. Burial with full military honors will be at Plover Cemetery.
Visitation will be at the funeral home from 9:30 a.m. Wednesday until the services.
Condolences may be offered online at www.shudafuneral.com.
Mr. Puariea was born May 14, 1919, in Hinsdale, Ill., a son of the late Ruby Puariea. He moved to Plover as a child and graduated from Emerson High School in 1938.
He entered the U.S. Army Feb. 12, 1942, at Fort Sheridan, Ill. He served as a heavy mortar gunner and earned the World War II Victory Medal, American Theater Ribbon, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Battle Star, two Overseas Service Bars, one Service Stripe and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged Feb. 2, 1946, as a corporal.
He returned to Plover and was married to Mary Ann Shewczyk on July 26, 1946, in Stevens Point.
The couple settled in Plover and he worked for Benson Optical in Stevens Point from 1946 through 1953. He worked at the Biron Paper Mill until 1962, and then joined the Stevens Point School District as head custodian until his retirement in 1983.
He volunteered at the Wisconsin Veteran Home in King and was a member of the Plover Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10262 and the American Legion Post 543.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Ron (Bernadette), Wisconsin Rapids; two daughters, Sharon (Jack) Rapp, Milwaukee, and Terri (Myron) Koziczkowski, Stevens Point; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by three sisters and one brother.
