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Peace was his Dream

In 1975, Carl and Marilyn Puleo found their way to Madison. The sea was calling them. They discovered a small house passed over by many because it was in desperate need of attention. But to Carl, “It was small, quaint, and cozy. A real artist’s hideout.” First and foremost, Carl and Marilyn were artists. A transformation occurred in that small cottage with the help of dear friends.

Carl dedicated his life to the service of others. At 82, when Maureen Lopes, president of Madison Cares, was organizing Build on the Green along with Habitat for Humanity and asked him to lend a hand, he spent the entire day teaching and assisting children in building bird houses and tool boxes.

At Willoughby’s, he became a familiar fixture sitting and reading in the window, but he was never so engrossed in his book that he did not look up to chat with the regulars.

Peace was his dream. Realizing he would not live to see a world at peace but hoping that his grandchildren would not inherit one full of turmoil, violence, and fear to grow up in. For many years, he stood on the Madison Town Green every Monday evening at 6 p.m. with a few dedicated friends holding his red lantern in one hand and a sign, “Pray for Peace,” in the other hoping to spread his message to someone driving by.

I encourage your readers to join me on Monday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. for a peace vigil to honor Carl Puleo and his memory. They can bundle up their children, leash their dog, grab a torch, and carry something that brings peace to them. At 90, Carl left this life, but his spirit lives on in the town he dearly loved, the one by the sea.

Laurian McCauley

Madison