David Paul Pukis

Loving father and friend David Paul Pukis, 78, passed away at the Glenn A Kiser Hospice House in Salisbury, NC, on September 30, 2024, after battling a long illness.  David was born in Sturgeon Bay, WI, on November 8, 1945, as the eldest of two children to Paul and Betty Pukis. He grew up in Redgranite, WI, where he was an altar boy for Saint Marks Catholic Church.  He played basketball and football at Wautoma High School and graduated in 1963.  At 17, he enlisted in the US Army and completed Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.  He was trained and specialized on the HAWK Missile System at Fort Bliss, TX.  Upon completion, he was stationed at Hohenfels Army Base in Germany with the 7th Army, 6th Missile Battalion, 60th Artillery.  After fulfilling active duty, David was Honorably discharged in 1966 with the rank of SP5 E5.

David worked as a Shift Superintendent at Kimberly-Clark/Simpson Paper Mill in Anderson, CA, from 1966 until 1998.  In 1999, he moved to Galesburg, MI, to work for Georgia Pacific until 2001, when he accepted a position with Bowater Nuway in Covington, TN.  He retired in 2008 and moved back to Redding, CA, to be close to family.  In 2020, he relocated again to be near his son and daughter-in-law in Salisbury, NC.

David enjoyed his summers with family while camping and boating at Iron Gate Reservoir, Whiskeytown Reservoir, and Lake Shasta in Northern California.  He was a big San Francisco 49ers fan who hardly missed a game and enjoyed rooting for the Niners in person at Candlestick Park. He loved fast cars like his GTO, Firebird, Corvette and Mustangs. He always had a special bond with dogs, especially his grand pup Lydia, before his passing.

David is survived by his son, David Paul Pukis Jr., and wife, Shannon, of Salisbury; daughter, Christina Sangray and husband Daryl of Des Lacs, ND; daughter, Connie McQuillan of Ormond, FL; daughter, Paula Pukis of Maryville, TN; 8 Grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; sister Sharon Nani and husband David of Redding, CA; niece, Deborah Sheehan of Redding, CA; and nephew, Ken Nani of Castella, CA.

He is preceded in death by his father, Paul Harry Pukis, and mother, Betty Jane Pukis.

All services will be held on Friday, November 8, 2024, with a funeral mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 375 Lumen Christi Lane, at 9:00 a.m., a Celebration of Life at Oak Park Retirement, 548 White Oaks Drive at 11:00 a.m., and a burial service at the Salisbury National Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.

David, Dave, or “DD,” as he was affectionately called, will forever be missed.  He is leaving a legacy of fond memories that will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew him.

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