John Richard Purdy

John Richard Purdy April 18, 1928 - March 20, 2023 CHARLESTON - We regret to share the news of the passing of John Richard Purdy on March 20, 2023 in Charleston, SC, three weeks before his 95th birthday. Born in Caro, MI in 1946, John enlisted in US Navy Aviation Electronics training. After his service, he graduated from Harvard and Harvard Business School. He joined Price Waterhouse, Boston, in 1954, made partner in 1964, moved to New York City and was lead audit engagement partner for many important clients from 1970 to 1986. John married Millicent Cooke Purdy in 1952 and they lived in Wellesley, MA and Greenwich, CT. They had two children, Robert Purdy and Susan Purdy Pelosi. Retired in 1986, he cared for Millicent until she died from MSA in 1990. He was a firm believer in love and companionship. In 1991, he reconnected with Jean Campbell, a high school friend, and they married soon after. They spent several happy years together living in Savannah, GA in the winter and summers in NH. Sadly, Jean succumbed to Alzheimer's disease and John was alone again by 2002. John often mentioned how grateful he was to have met and married Patti Daniels Purdy in 2003. They were fortunate to have shared nearly twenty wonderful years together. Dividing their time between Savannah, GA and Lake Winnipesaukee in NH, they also enjoyed traveling to a variety of US and international destinations. In 2012, they moved to Bishop Gadsden, an Independent Senior Living Community in Charleston, SC. John was six foot four and lean with impeccable posture. Positive or negative - you remembered meeting him. He was stern but it took very little to spark a twinkle in his eye. He loved telling stories and pulling gentle pranks on his family, neighbors and friends. He adored dogs and had many over the years. He was a tireless caregiver and found great purpose in making his partners comfortable with a cup of tea, coffee or a snack at hand. His sweet tooth was legendary. John ate vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce nearly every night before bed for decades, barely gaining a pound. The top drawer in his desk and the kitchen"utility" drawer always had chocolate candy in it. He delighted in sharing his latest discovery, "Have one of these, they are REALLY good!" Outside of his work, John's relentless creative problem-solving and skills kept him busy his entire life. He relished the opportunity to leave something better than he found it. John always had a small Swiss Army knife in his pocket to pare away the coating on a wire, snip a thread or other small tasks. Even in his nineties, he had power tools to install a switch, level a shelf, or change a doorknob. He was always thinking about the next improvement. John was an early adopter of technology. He received an IBM AT computer as his retirement gift from Price Waterhouse in 1986, and never looked back. His home office transformed over the years as technology evolved - from a giant-tubed monitor and clacky dot-matrix printer to the latest Macbook, stacks of iPads, the fastest printers, the newest phones and digital picture frames. An avid fan of portrait photography, each family gathering or visitor was an opportunity for John to use his latest camera. Our grumbling was generally quelled by a well-captured photo of the moment. He was always interested in the newest features and would readily give you the camera he was using because he was "getting a new one soon anyway" (and he was!). Although his time in the Navy didn't foster a love of swimming, for more than 60 years, John spent many happy days on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. He often quoted from The Wind in the Willows, that his greatest pleasure was "simply messing about in boats"; exploring the beautiful and varied coves and islands of the lake he adored. He took one brief plunge every year with great drama and satisfaction. He lived by the words his mother shared with him at an early age, "Good luck you make, bad luck you endure." He took great pride in solving crossword puzzles in pen, in his persistence, in sending thoughtful cards or gifts, and in his beloved family. In addition to his wife, Patti, John is survived by his children, son, Robert and his wife, Jennifer, their daughters, Alexandra and her husband, Ned Levering, and Kaitlin and her husband, Sean Murphy, John's daughter, Susan, and her husband Louis Pelosi, and their daughters, Isabella and Sophie. John was delighted to become a great-grandfather in June 2022, when Alexandra and Ned had a son, Quinn Purdy Levering. John is also survived by members of Patti's family, her daughter, Kim and her husband Lewis Hay and their daughter, Eliza and her husband, Will Mulvey and Patti's son, Dr. Frederick Daniels and his wife, Melissa and their children, Olivia and Sarah, her granddaughter, Kali Daniels and Patti's sister, Nancy Waters. Donations in his honor could be made to The Bishop Gadsden Charitable Fund. https://www.bishopgadsden.org/giving/ A service was held in March, 2023 at Bishop Gadsden in Charleston, SC. https://youtu.be/vGvj0jfLOm8., and an interment service on May 13, 2023 at Christ Church in Greenwich, CT. https://events.locallive.tv/events/110912. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston