Richard Purcell

Visitation will be Sunday, November 1, 2009 from 5-8 pm at Brintlinger & Earl Funeral Home, Decatur, IL. Funeral services will be held Monday, November 2, 2009, at 1:00pm at Brintlinger & Earl Funeral Home with Rev. Jack Pitzer, Pastor, Lampstand Presbyterian officiating. Burial will be at Lake Bank Cemetery in Latham, IL.Richard, also known as Dick, was born January 4, 1934 in Latham, IL, the son of Everett Lee and Dorothy Mae (Dunn) Purcell. He married Mary McClure Purcell on September 5, 1954 in Warrensburg, IL. Dick Purcell started work with the railroad after graduating high school in 1952. He worked the teletype machine and to this day could still tap out morse code faster than most people type! He began his life long employment with the A.E. Staley Company in 1955. Dick was a self made man. He started out in the company as a bicycle messenger boy and climbed the corporate ladder to become a respected executive with Staleys until his retirement in 1993. Dick and his family moved from Latham, IL to Marshfield, MA to Downers Grove, IL and finally back to Decatur, IL in 1981 while employed with Staleys. To this day his family still repeats Dicks saying about the distinctive aroma surrounding Staleys - Smells like bread and butter to me.Dick was preceded in death by his beloved wife Mary, his parents, parent in-laws and infant son David, as well as brothers William (Bill) and Clarence Purcell. Survivors include his children Roger (Vonda) Purcell of Concord, NC, Chris (Mike Pieronek) Purcell of Ann Arbor, MI, Douglas Purcell of Broadview, IL and Nancy Vela of Chicago, IL. His pride and joy were his 6 grandchildren, Kevin and Krysta Purcell, Avery and Maren Pieronek, and Abril and Mia Vela.Dick is survived by a very large family. He was the 6th of 10 children. Family includes Maxine (Bob, deceased) Jones, Iona (Monta, deceased) Tuley, Emily (Sam, deceased) Berger, Jack and Doris Purcell, Loriene (Christian, deceased) Erlenbush, Alfred (Annie) Purcell, Everett Jr. (Patty) Purcell and Jerry (Liz) Purcell. Dicks in-laws are Robert (Helen) McClure, Ruth (Frank, deceased) Bamberg, Patricia McClure, Nancy (Don) Butler and David (Sally) McClure. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, friends and his pal, Morrie the cat.Dick enjoyed many activities. Early in life he was on many softball and bowling teams. He was an avid fisherman, traveling to Canada yearly with friends for great lake fishing. Dick could be seen boating on Lake Decatur with family and friends frequently. Not only was Dick an avid golfer, he was a gifted golfer. A sport he truly loved and enjoyed. His collection of golf shoes and clubs reflect his obsession. He was hard to beat when he had cards in his hand. He knew your cards as well as his own. Everyone loved Dick's great sense of humor, quick wit and his camaraderie. They also loved what ever Dick was cooking. He was a great cook and no one ever left hungry. His TV was tuned to The Food Network channel frequently. A NASCAR race was always on his TV too. Dick was an fervent fan of NASCAR as his oldest son, Roger, works for Joe Gibbs Racing. Dick and Mary traveled to many races in their motor home. Dick spent his winters in Gulf Shores, AL but always returned to Decatur in the spring.The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the doctors and staff of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. They would also like to thank the hospice nurses and staff of St. Johns whose kindness and care extended to Dick and his family went beyond expectations. They are grateful.Memorials will go to the St. Johns Hospital Hospice Program or the Humane Society of Decatur and Macon County. "
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