Melvin “Punk” Eugene Strange, 89, a respected resident of Bridgeport, Illinois, peacefully passed away on February 23, 2023, from lingering health problems. Punk was born to Charles and Mamie Ruth Strange on April 13,1933 and grew up in the Chauncey area of Lawrence County, during the hard times of the Great Depression. Punk was the sixth of seven children born into the family. His siblings included brothers Robert, Mervin (“Doc”), and Donnie, along with sisters Bird (Shoulders), Marjorie (Sempsrote) and Eva Mae/Maggie (Motor).
Please be advised that this obituary will flout tradition. We praise Punk for doing good deeds, and living his life as a hard-working, family-first, intensely loyal, generous, and loving man. Punk’s friends celebrated him as being an honest man. However, we also highlight his personality’s spirited and colorful sides, which made him incomparable. Punk was a one-in-a-million guy.
As a young man, Punk worked on the family farm and graduated from Bridgeport High School. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army before finding his life vocation of working in the pipeline construction business of Southern and Central Illinois. Punk was married to Sheryl Mullen for 64 years and the couple enjoyed their family life in Bridgeport. Sheryl preceded Punk in death. Prior to retirement, Punk owned and managed the successful Best Construction Company for many years. He enjoyed worshipping at Bridgeport’s First United Methodist Church.
Known for his hunting and fishing savvy, Punk was an enthusiastic sportsman. For example, his Frostproof, Florida fishing buddies, when sitting at their nighttime campfires, often spoke in hushed tones about Punk’s fishing skills, claiming that when local fish heard his name they trembled and then dashed for Key Largo. He was known at deer camp for making the best deer steak sandwiches (with onions and fresh horseradish). He was a great cook with an insatiable appetite for food, family, and fun with his many friends.
“Punk at the lake” stories could fill volumes. Spending summertime at the lake (the Ambraw Sportsman Club) was a guaranteed good time. Punk taught more people to ski on that lake than a busy Floridian ski instructor. He captained the boat in his straw hat and cut-off jeans. As much as he loved teaching people to ski, and getting them up out of the water, he enjoyed seeing them wipeout (you could hear his belly laugh across the lake).
Punk was a virtuoso at turning a phrase that consisted of suitable language combined with his blend of country cussing. Was this an off-color form of cowboy poetry? No, he was simply offering a creative use of expletives which rolled off his tongue with the rhythm of a percussionist. He wouldn’t have been the same person without this vocabulary. His use of language, combined with his comedic timing, was unmatched. While he surely was a comedic man, it’s imperative that we confirm that Punk, with his integrity and credibility, was viewed by family members as their confident leader. As his bold and often loud style of mentoring and educating helped them grow (while making them laugh), he was respected as the ultimate patriarch of this family. He was their absolute “true north.”
His final hours are now etched in the memory of his family. As he was quietly fading from life, he made one final gesture that was vintage Punk Strange. He woke up, as if from one of his beloved naps, and had one last burst of life. He had just enough energy to speak and give the family one final razz. It was two hours of laughs and tears. He even asked for strawberry ice cream and took a small bite. The family was comfortably crowded into his room, showering him with love. It was one last night with Punk in the cabin. It was peaceful and appropriate, and all felt the absolute maximum amount of love and admiration that could be packed into a room. Melvin “Punk” Strange lived a great life, and he died a good death. He will be profoundly missed by his family and those affected by the wake of all things that were so very Punk Strange. Surviving family members include two children, Joe (Leslie) Strange and Jill Strange, four grandchildren, Lorie (Kris) Gaither, Mark Seed, Lacy (Justin) Hankins and Wylie (Kacey) Strange, and six great grandchildren, Brooklynn Gaither, Caleb Hankins, Kailey Hankins, Cash Hankins, Warren Strange, and Natalie Strange.
A private graveside service will be held at a later date.