Donald John “Don” Pudwill was born on August 8, 1933 to John and Emma Pudwill in Artas, South Dakota. Orphaned at age ten, he was raised by his aunt Lydia and uncle John M. Munn in Minnesota with their son, John H. Munn. Don was athletic, playing high school football and earning trophies for track and field events. He graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1952. He worked on a ranch as a cowboy. He then joined the Marines where he earned the rank of Sergeant. After his military service, he attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from the Northwestern Television & Electronics Institute to become an electronic technician. He was an essential support team member for the hypersonic X-15 collaborative program between the Air Force and NASA. As he received new work assignments, Don and his wife, Deloris, got to travel the country, relocating from Minnesota to Ohio, Washington, California, and finally settling in Florida. Don worked for Honeywell for 32 years, primarily on guidance systems. He enjoyed taking RV trips with Deloris, as well as bowling, fishing, boating, and gardening. He passed away at age 87 on November 5, 2020 in Florida after an extended battle with illnesses.
Don is survived by his wife of 57 years, Deloris; his daughter, Cynthia Blakley; his sister, Shirley Twohig; and many nieces and nephews.
Don was preceded in death by his mother, Emma; father, John; sister, Ardella Kightlinger; sister Catherine Thompson; brother, Lorn Pudwill; daughter, Cheryl; daughter, Caroline; aunt, Lydia Munn; uncle, John M. Munn; and John H. Munn, with whom Don was raised as a brother.
A visitation will be held on Monday, November 16th from 10-11 A.M. at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Largo, Florida with a funeral service beginning at 11 A.M. The service will be followed by a committal service at Serenity Gardens Memorial Park and reception at Serenity Funeral Home in Largo.
The service may be viewed at centralbaymarket.com. The service password is Don1116. The virtual room will open 15 minutes prior to the scheduled service start time. Please note that the start of the live webcast will begin when the actual service begins.
