Joe C. Sulak

Joe C. Sulak, age 81, of West, passed away Tuesday afternoon, November 14, 2006 at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco. Graveside services will be held 1:30 p.m. Friday at St. Mary's Cemetery, with the Rev. Melvin Dornak officiating. Military Graveside Rites will follow, conducted by V.F.W. Post No. 4819 of West. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Mr. Sulak was born on March 5, 1925 in Aquilla, the son of John Timothy and Mary Henrietta (Zvesper) Sulak. He attended Alligator School in West. He served in the United States Army during World War II. Joe was captured and remained a prisoner of war for four months while in Germany. When the war was over, he was released and received a purple heart for his bravery. On April 21, 1981, he was united in marriage to Dorothy Griego in West. He worked as a plumber and electrician for Ray's Electric and Plumbing in West for over thirty-five years until his retirement in 2000. Joe loved to play bingo, dominoes, deer hunt, fish and especially loved dancing and the Czech music. He was a member of V.F.W. Post No. 4819 of West, The Purple Heart, American Legion, Prisoner of War Veterans Chapter 1 in Waco, and St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West. His parents, one grandson, Frankie Caughenbaugh Jr.;two brothers, John Sulak and Wesley Sulak; and two sisters, Mary Girard and Agnes Adamson, and one nephew, Robert Sulak, all precede him in death. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Sulak of Waco; two sons, Raymond "Jake" Sulak and Randy Sulak, both of West; three daughters, Barbara Mynar and husband Larry of Abbott, Doris Caughenbaugh and husband Frankie of Chalk Bluff and Bernice Sawyer and husband Steve of West; two step-sons, Michael Perez and Carlos Perez of Waco; six step-daughters, Angie Hinojosa of Rockport, Olga Campos of Waco, Virginia Zdinine of Chicago, Ill, Stella Perez and Lori Ann Rodriquez, of Waco and Henrietta Clark of Robins, NC; four sisters, Anna Chabicek of San Antonio, Henrietta Barton and Leona Hanzlicek, both of West and Frances Zeptner of Burleson; thirteen grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; forty-six step-grandchildren; thirty-four step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Honorary pallbearers will be V.F.W. Post No. 4819 of West. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to help with funeral expenses.