August 13, 1928 - August 3, 2023

Norman Lloyd Pudwill was born on August 13, 1928, to John and Amelia (Guthmiller) Pudwill in Avon, S.D. He was the 13th of 14 children and was raised on a farm near Avon and moved to Avon as a teenager.

After graduating from Avon high school, Norm enlisted in the United States Navy. While in the service, he became a corpsman and served in Guam and at Mare Island, Cali. While stationed in Guam, he was part of a humanitarian mission who helped to relocate over 100 men, women, and children who contracted Leprosy. They moved them from Guam to the Island of Tinian 150 miles away. Norm also helped on recovery missions of shipwrecks around Guam along with treating the locals and Japanese POWs. After being discharged to the Navy Reserve in the spring of 1950, Norm lived in San Diego, Cali. for less than one year. He was called back to active duty on Mare Island to assist American service members that had come back from Korea injured or disabled. He remained in the Navy until May of 1952. During his time in the Navy, he married Lucielle Sampson. To this union Noel, Roger, and David were born.

Shortly after Norm left the Navy, he enlisted in the United States Army National Guard and was assigned to Company B, 109th Engineer Battalion based out of Sturgis, S.D. He retired from the National Guard in 1983 at the rank of Sergeant Major. In 1988 he became the Fall River Emergency Manager. He also married Zabie Peck (Zimiga) in 1988 and inherited three bonus children, (Connie, Donnie, and Kristy) who he loved and treated as his own.

He loved fishing and hunting and taught all his children to love them too. Until recent years, Norm took pride in having a big garden. And as everyone who has been at the Senior Citizens Center on a Monday night knows, he enjoyed a good game of Cribbage. He was also a volunteer fireman for many years in Hot Springs. The American Legion Post 71 benefitted from Norm’s volunteering too in addition to him being a member of the Legion and the Legion’s Color Guard. In 2022 Norm was presented with a 70-year Certificate of Continuous Membership with the American Legion.

Norm is survived by his children, Noel (Jerri) Pudwill of Renton, Wash., Roger Pudwill of Renton, Wash., David (Penny) Pudwill of Pacifica, Wash., Connie (Jay) DeHaai, of Papillion, Neb., Donnie (Kris) Peck, of Hot Springs, and Kristy (Howard) Green, of Hot Springs, as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

He was proceeded in death by his parents, John and Amelia Pudwill; loving wife, Zabie Pudwill; and siblings, Lester, Leone, Lincoln, Herb, Otto, Roland, Jim, Lorraine, Elsie, Lillian, Viola, Edna, and John Jr.

Christian Funeral Vigil will be held at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, August 13, 2023, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Hot Springs.

Christian Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 14, 2023, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Hot Springs, with Christian Funeral Committal following at Evergreen Cemetery in Hot Springs with full military honors presented.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of Chamberlain McColley Funeral Home in Hot Springs, S.D.