Wolfgang H. Puchtler ’62

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Body

Wolf died Nov. 17, 2015, in Puyallup, Wash., of complications related to hypothermia.

He came to Princeton from Vestal (N.Y.) High School and roomed with Walter Stark. He majored in philosophy and dined at Tower Club. After graduation, Wolf served as the chief engineer on the submarine USS Archerfish in the South Pacific.

After his Navy service, Wolf attended Penn’s Wharton School and subsequently had a long career in the wholesale floral industry while living in Puyallup, near Seattle.

Walter Stark had tried to locate Wolf over the last several years (Princeton had no contact information for him after 1968) and eventually found his Puyallup home, yet was unable to speak to Wolf in person. This past November, Wolf was found outdoors, unconscious, and in prolonged hypothermia. To his doctors’ surprise, he was partially resuscitated and managed a short conversation with a nephew before he died.

The class extends its sympathy to his nephews, Scobie Puchtler and Shanta Puchtler. If anyone is willing to share memories of Wolf from his Princeton days, these stories will be gratefully received by Scobie at scobie@pscs.org.

1 Response

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Jeannine Regan

6 Months Ago

A Remembrance

I knew Wolf in Hawaii when he served on the Archerfish. We were very close, sharing many months together. I saw him after I had moved to Connecticut. And then we lost touch. He was a sensitive, warm being, and having only recently heard of his death, I feel a sense of loss and bereavement.

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