Stanley P Zuris

Stanley P. Zuris of Albuquerque, NM passed away on May 27, 2017. Stanley was born on January 17, 1926 to Pius Jonas Zuris and Biruta Lukassus Zuris in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned the Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. After recovering from battle injuries that temporarily blinded him and required over a dozen surgeries, Stanley went on to study law at Ohio State University.

Upon graduation from law school in 1949, Stanley traveled to Mexico City where he learned Spanish and worked as an editor for an international newspaper. In June of 1950, while hitchhiking back to Ohio to begin practicing law, Stanley passed through Albuquerque. He entered Verl’s Café to inquire if he could wash dishes in exchange for a hot meal. There he met Verl’s niece, Patricia Rae Young. Stan and Pat were married in Washington Island, Wisconsin on August 26, 1950.

Stan practiced law in Oberlin, Ohio for nine years before packing his young family into a green rambler station wagon and heading to Albuquerque on Route 66. He served as deputy city attorney until October 1961 when he entered into private law practice. He served as special counsel to the airport and was instrumental in converting the Albuquerque Army Air Base into the Albuquerque Sunport. He also helped establish the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority and subsequently served as the Authority’s general counsel for many years.

In addition to his busy law practice, Stan built a wonderful home and small farm for his growing family. Time was made for family road trips, camping, and restoring an old cabin in the Jemez Mountains. He was proud of his Lithuanian heritage and like many of Baltic descent, was an avid mushroom hunter. He spent many summer days in the mountains collecting boletus edulis. Stan and Pat also loved spending winters in Kino Bay, Mexico after his retirement, where he enjoyed fishing for yellowtail and rockfish. Stan was also a voracious reader and spent a good portion of his morning immersed in The New York Times.

Stan is survived by his wife of 66 years, Patricia; his son, Edward Zuris; his daughters, Suzanne Levy (Paul), Nancy Zuris Slater, Stephanie Collins (Brian), Carol Peacock (Bruce); his sister, Dorothea Denninger; eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Victor Zuris, and his daughter Peggy Anne Zuris.

A visitation will be held Sunday, June 4, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at FRENCH – Westside, followed by a Graveside Service at 1:00 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque.
Memorial donations may be made either to the Presbyterian Hospice Foundation, PO Box 26666, Albuquerque, NM 87125 or to the Auksuciai Foundation benefiting Lithuanian farmers after 50 years of Soviet occupation, 2907 Frontera Way, Burlingame, CA 94010.