Thomas Alfred Purpus (Tom), age 92, born on January 13, 1931, the son of the late Leo E. and Pearl C. (Cleveland) Purpus, passed away March 27, 2023, in his adopted home of Anderson, Indiana. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death his siblings and their spouses: Theodore and Norma Purpus, Antoinette and Raymond Kehoe, and Anna and Bart Desch.
Tom was born and raised in New Bremen, Ohio and graduated from New Bremen High School. After serving in the U.S. Marines, Tom worked as an engineer and machine designer. Tom was an avid auto racing fan and midget race car owner, a passionate Ohio State Buckeyes fan, an accomplished wood worker and creator of cabinetry and furniture. Following his retirement, he served in the Peace Corps for two years teaching business development and management in Voronezh, Russia. In recent years, he became the unofficial secretary of his high school class of 1949 and he and his eleven remaining classmates rekindled their longtime friendships through events that Tom organized.
Tom is survived by two daughters: Susan Showalter of Anderson, Indiana and Ellen Purpus of East Greenville, Pennsylvania, two granddaughters, and several great grandchildren.
A memorial graveside service will be held in the German Protestant Cemetery of New Bremen on June 12, 2023, starting at 11:00 AM with the Rev. Ken Locke officiating. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011) or online at: www.alz.org. Gilberg-Hartwig Funeral Home in New Bremen is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories can be shared with the family on the funeral home website: www.gilberghartwigfh.com.
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Alice Gilberg Hartwig says
June 8, 2023 at 10:07 amAs kids on Franklin St, our neighborhood had lots of fun. We all knew when the street lights came on at night, it was time to go home. Lots of good memories of those times. My sympathy to you in the loss of your dad.