Shirley Ann (Kuhn) Puariea

Shirley A. Puariea, a longtime resident of Albuquerque, passed away on July 12, 2022, surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her spouse, both parents, and siblings. She is survived by her children Mathew Puariea, Beth Clark (Donnie), Karla Puariea, and Jeffrey Puariea, all of Albuquerque, and Benjamin Puariea (Pat) of Houston; grandchildren Christopher Puariea, Bryan Puariea, Gregory Saavedra, Katelyn Saavedra; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Shirley always had a passion for learning and worked and saved in the year following high school so that she may attend the University of Wisconsin. She received her degree in early childhood education and then met Jack on a blind date. Reportedly she knew she would marry him on their first date! Directly after they married, they moved to Champagne-Urbana where Shirley worked as a kindergarten teacher to put food on the table while she completed her graduate degree in Early Childhood Development and Jack completed his studies for a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering.

The couple arrived in Albuquerque in 1959. Jack was a fresh electrical engineer graduate recruited to work for Sandia National Labs. She was nine months pregnant with her first and had just successfully navigated a road trip from Illinois in the middle of January in a Volkswagen Bug. Together they made their home in the Northeast heights, had five kids, were active in the church community, and spent vacations camping around the Southwest with trips to the Midwest every other year to visit family. The organizational powerhouse that made every trip a success was Shirley. She planned and made lists and pulled off amazing adventures, from the beach in Mexico to the boundary waters in Minnesota. She was also successful relocating the entire family, with the house packed up and rented out, to Australia while Jack worked there for 18 months, with excursions through the South Pacific on the way and returning by way of Europe.

Shirley was always a rockhound and nature lover and began volunteering at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, racking up over 300 volunteer hours and enjoying many fieldtrips around the state. Once all the kids were in school, she began teaching pre-school at the church and treasured her time with the kids and her teaching friends. Her love of travel was likely born out of the travel to and around Australia, and a few years after Jack prematurely passed away, she began traveling with her brother and sister-in-law and the Museum Volunteer group, ultimately making her way to every continent, attending many elder hostels, and learning about different people, wildlife, and cultures all around the world.

Her love of people and her caring nature are two characteristics that likely everyone will remember. She was always interested in others' lives and experiences, and even when she was left with few words following a stroke, she could be heard greeting everyone with, "Tell me all about yourself." Her never-ending interest in the natural world and people made her one of the best listeners in the world, and she will be missed and celebrated for years to come. Blessings, Mom!

The Memorial Service is available over Zoom at this link: https://zoom.us/j/337700714. You can also Dial in by phone to 346-248-7799. The meeting ID is 337 700 714.