Puj was born in Fallon and raised in Carson City, Nevada by Larry and Louise Chambers. As a child with curly hair, chubby cheeks, and an infectious smile, she was adorable. Larry and Louise had a house on Fall Street across from the state capitol where the Nevada State
Library now sits. Always energetic, Puj wasn’t content to sit at home and had free range of her neighborhood. A neighbor gave her the nickname “Pudge,” and it stuck. Despite her teenage attempts to be called Peggy, Pudge stuck and she decided to change the spelling to Puj.
A proud 1962 Carson High School graduate, Puj had been socializing with the Hoffman boys, and fell in love with Bill. They married in the summer of 1962 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. They spent the rest of their lives together, through good times and troubled times. They had two girls, Hallie and Kelli, and raised them up with solid family values: be responsible, get an education, keep your promises, honor your parents, bathe regularly, iron your shirts, do the dishes, treat others with respect, always shop the sale racks, give what you have to people
in need, and try to get along with your sister.
Puj embodied several superpowers. She could clearly see any barrier to joy and was diligent in her efforts to remove those barriers, even if they weren’t hers to remove. She loved her family and friends with great big love. She embodied a grand sense of humor. She was
endlessly creative and could solve problems and make or build anything she put her mind to. An accomplished seamstress and craftsperson, she created countless ball gowns, matching children’s clothes, choir robes, stuffed creatures, window dressings, classic car interiors, poodle skirts and more. She wanted to be in a beautiful world and she worked for the sake of love and laughter and beauty until the end of her days.
Puj is survived by her daughters, Hallie and Kelli, her sister Linda, her brother Gus; her grandchildren Todd, Chanel, Cameron, and Alicia; her great grandchildren Trinity, Thor, Shylee, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Zachary; beloved nieces and nephews and in-laws; and best
friends Susan Maki and Lori Larkin.
A memorial service will be held at 2pm on her birthday, June 22 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Carson City. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers are encouraged; she and her regular support to St. Peter’s, the Salvation Army, and FISH will be missed.