Mr. Walter Bernard Purcell Jr.

Walter Bernard Purcell, Jr., 89 passed away peacefully in his sleep at Rolling Green Village in Greenville, SC. Walt Purcell was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He attended Taylor-Alderice High School, where he excelled in boxing and football. At the age of 16, he lied about his age to enlist in the military. In 1945, Walt joined the Army’s 11th Airborne, and although trained as a paratrooper, was assigned to ride horseback for mountain patrol as part of the occupation forces in Japan at the end of World War II. After the war, Walt returned to Pittsburgh, where he met and married fellow Pittsburgh native, Mary Louise Adams. As the young family grew, Walt went on to serve in the Military Police, the Criminal Investigation Division, and the Signal Corps in a career that spanned World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He was stationed in many parts of the world including Pittsburgh, PA, Clemson College (with the ROTC Dept.), Germany (Munich, Stuttgart, and Heidelberg), Vietnam, Thailand, Oregon, and Georgia. Walt, Mary and their children returned to the Clemson area when Walt retired from the Military in 1973, with the rank of First Sergeant. He then went on to serve for 13 years as the Emergency Preparedness Director for Oconee County. His responsibilities covered everything from coordinating search and rescue in the surrounding lakes, rivers, and mountainous terrain, to emergency planning for the nuclear power plant in the county. The family loved the area when Walt had been stationed there in the early sixties, and they were thrilled to reconnect with lifelong friends, Jack and Ruth Clemens. Walt and Mary were avid fans and supporters of Clemson football, and enjoyed acting as traveling chaperones for the Clemson University Band for several years. Walt was recognized for leadership in Boy Scouts, Sertoma Club, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Walt and the family also continued to be ardent fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Walt and Mary never lost the travel bug and enjoyed many ocean and river cruises around the world during their retirement years. As Mary’s health declined, Walt turned his every attention to her care. Sadly, he lost his beloved wife in 2015. He spent the years since surrounded by children, grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, his greatest joys. Walt was preceded in death by Mary, his wife of 64 years, and his parents Walter B Purcell, Sr. and Josephine Majkowski Purcell. He is survived by his sister Betty Dabecco, sons Michael P Purcell and Mark S Purcell (Lisa), daughter Kathleen Ann Purcell Delumyea, grandchildren Connie Purcell, Joseph Purcell, Mary Ashley Purcell, and Caroline Purcell; two great grandchildren Logan and Jordan, nieces Nancy Marx, Margaret Dabecco Fencik (Albert), and nephews Frank Dabecco Jr., Rocky Dabecco, Douglas Dabecco, and Jeffrey Dabecco. The family wishes to thank the administration and staff at Rolling Green Village, notably Ryan Toerner, Amy Abercrombie, Christie Smith, Abbie Slater, the entire nursing staff, Chaplain David Newton, and all the sitters, especially Tiffany Smith, Gina Vance, Barbara Jones, Billie Williams, and Annette Jeter. A memorial service will be held at Rolling Green Village in Greenville, SC on April 28, 2018 at 3:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Oconee Humane Society, PO Box 966, West Union, SC 29696 or Army Emergency Relief (AER), on their web site AERHQ.org.

Mr. Walter Bernard Purcell Jr.

June 23, 1928 - March 29, 2018