Obituary of Paul J. “Puzzy” Mooter

Paul J “Puzzy” Mooter, 91, of Melbourne, died September 13th, 2017 at the William Childs Hospice House. He was born December 28th, 1925 in Elbridge Township, Paris, IL to Paul Franklin Mooter and Ethel Baker. Survivors include children: James (Marilyn) Mooter, Janette (Joseph) Catania, and Paul (Sandra) Mooter; Grandchildren: Tanya, Jodi, Raymond, Maria, Nathaniel, Rachael, Cassandra, and Bethany; Great grandchildren Nick, Pike, Brenna, Anthony, William and Franie. He was raised by his grandparents Frank and Bessie Mooter as his Dad was killed in a mining accident when he was 2. He graduated from Goshen Indian High school in 1944. A few days after graduation he went in to have his appendix out. He enjoyed working on cars and as a young high school graduate he worked at driving a coal truck. In 1945 he married June Burns and lived in Clinton, IN for a short time and then moved to Cleveland, OH where he worked for Carlings Brewery for about six months before he got drafted in 1945. He took basic training in Ft Knox, KY and re-enlisted to regular Army. He volunteered to go overseas to Korea in November of 1945 and stayed until November of 1947. He mustered out of the Army in Seattle, WA. He stayed there working odd jobs, Post Office, clerk in Nash agency, until he had enough money to get back to Terre Haute where his wife June was. While he was away a daughter, Terre Dee, was born. He bought a 1929 Model A and overhauled it. “It ran like a top” he said. He was working two jobs, Kyser Frazer training for a parts manager, the other was at Campbell Soup Company driving a forklift truck. He divorced from June during this time and was living in West Terre Haute. Indiana. His mother and step Dad picked him up and took him to live with them. He worked with his step Dad and brother in the steel construction industry as a riveter’s helper. They moved around a lot, working in Milford Michigan (GM Proving grounds) building steel buildings. Then they moved to Lorain, Ohio for a job with US Steel. He worked there for 10.5 years. He met his 2nd wife, Matilda Agnes Stelzer on a blind date in a skating rink. They dated for about a year and got married in July 29th 1950 in Lorain, OH. In 1959 he was out on strike and together they went to Rivera Beach, FL, ‘got sand in my shoes’ and went back to Ohio, sold the house, had an auction, packed up our luggage trailer with all our belongs along with 3 kids and moved to Riviera Beach (Singer Island) Florida in January 4th 1960. “Three kids, no job, but we prevailed”. Paul found a TV job with a home grown company called Elder and Elder that rented and repaired TV’s. He also worked a job with Wilber Bridges TV (corner of Southern Blvd and Military trail). The family lived in a rented house while a new house was being built in North Palm Beach. He worked a couple of jobs, Texaco gas station and then finally landed a good job with RCA in Palm Beach Gardens. The company was losing steam and finally in May of 1976 he took a job in Maynard, MA with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). While at DEC they sent him all over the world to install equipment and repair or teach about the equipment. He loved it! He went to Ireland 6 times, Scotland, Puerto Rico, and various other places in the US. In December of 1988 he retired from DEC and moved back to Florida to Melbourne, where he had a house built and lived in many years. Finally Matilda and Paul sold that house and moved into a condo in Melbourne where his beloved wife passed in 2008. He would always say, “I’ve lived a good life, I am very blessed”. A Memorial Service with Military Honors will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 28 at Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care, 1001 South Hickory Street, Melbourne, Florida.