Joseph F. Puleri Sr., 84, died Sunday at his home in Lee surrounded by his family.
He was born une 10, 1933, in Lee, the son of Frank and Mary Corseri Puleri. He attended Lee schools and graduated from Lee High School. Mr. Puleri served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He then worked for Eaton Paper for 33 years and traveled across the country as the president of the International Paper Makers Union. He then went on to work for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts unemployment division in the veterans’ department, retiring from there in 2001. Joseph was a communicant of St. Mary’s Church in Lee and was an avid golfer, belonging to the Berkshire Hills Country Club. On May 12, 1956, he married Raffaela Cultrera; she died in 1994.
Mr. Puleri is survived by two sons: Joseph F. Puleri Jr. of South Lake Tahoe, California, and Mark Puleri of Lee; one daughter: Pam Streeter of Lee; two brothers: Louis Puleri and Francis Puleri, both of Lee; a sister: Josephine Akey, also of Lee; four grandchildren: Megan, Bryan, Dylan and Stephen; and one great-grandson: Max. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers: Angelo and James Puleri and two sisters: Sarah McCollum and Mary Lavato.
A Liturgy of Christian Burial for Joseph Puleri will be held Thursday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Lee. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Kelly Funeral Home in Lee. Friends wishing may make donations in his memory to the Crossroads Center for Children in c/o the Kelly Funeral Home, 3 Main St., Lee, MA 01238. To send a donation, leave a message of condolence or share pictures, visit www.kellyfuneralhome.net.
