James Purcell

December 22, 1925 -- April 22, 2004

Anchorage Daily News April 29, 2004

Retired engineer James Patrick Purcell, 78, died April 22, 2004, at his home in Anchorage. A vigil with Deacon Felix Maguire was held at Witzleben Funeral Home. A funeral was at Holy Family Cathedral, 800 W. Fifth Ave. The Rev. Garry Cappleman officiated. A graveside service was at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mr. Purcell was born Dec. 22, 1925, in Hutchinson, Minn. He graduated from Sunburst High School in Sunburst, Mont. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University in 1950. He served 26 months in the Army Air Force as a radio and radar engineer. He came to Anchorage in 1962. He left the state in 1999, moving to Vancouver, Wash. He spent winters in Yuma, Ariz., with his wife, Pat. He also maintained a residence in Anchorage. Mr. Purcell's employment included working for the Montana Power Co. in Great Falls as a material coordinator, 1950-52; Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. as assistant corrosion engineer, 1954-55; and Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, Okla., as a corrosion engineer from 1955-62. In 1962, he joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Anchorage as a senior electrical engineer. He retired in 1989 from the Corps after 27 years. He was a member of Knights of Columbus, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, National Association of Corrosion Engineers and Society of American Military Engineers. Mr. Purcell received a performance award in 1986 from the Department of the Army in recognition of his efforts to "stay abreast of current technology in the field of cathodic protection." His hobbies included building his own Hovercraft in his garage. He also enjoyed traveling both home and abroad in his retirement. His family states: "Jim was a quiet, gentle man who made himself extraordinary by doing ordinary things so well. He was a husband, father and friend who possessed a wry sense of humor that added spark to any gathering. During his career with the Corps, his job took him from Alaska to Korea, the Aleutian Chain and Saudi Arabia."

Survivors include his wife of seven years, Patricia Rodgers Purcell of Vancouver, Wash.; daughters and son-in-law, Jackie Purcell and Dannie Pearson, and Margaret Purcell; and son, Thomas Purcell, all of Anchorage; sister, Mary Danielson of Shelby, Mont.; and nieces and nephews in the Lower 48. He was preceded in death by his wife and mother of his children, Anne Purcell, in 1990.