John Purce

POCATELLO - At the age of 90, John William Purce - loving father, husband, friend, and fierce advocate for justice, democracy and human dignity - passed peacefully from this world on the first moment of May 26, 2012. His was a life well lived, and he was a man well loved.
John was born on December 17, 1921, in Port Royal, Virginia, to William Lemar Purce and Irene Hill Purce. He was the sixth of their eight children. He graduated from Union High School in Bowling Green, Virginia. While still a teenager, his father passed away, and he focused his attention on working and helping his mother raise his younger siblings.
During World War II, John entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and was stationed in Pocatello, Idaho, where he served as a military policeman. It was during this service that he met and fell in love with his future wife, native Pocatelloan Idaho Thompson. They married in 1944 and after the war, he and Idaho remained in Pocatello to make their home and raise their family. Idaho was his true love and constant companion. He was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church for 50 years and a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus.
John valued hard work, and he instilled a strong work ethic in his children and modeled that ethic throughout his life. He was a talented carpenter, mason, electrician, plumber and equipment operator - skills he learned from his father who was a carpenter and boat-builder. While he worked full-time for 32 years at the Union Pacific Railroad, he was also a small business owner and self-employed contractor, doing concrete work, carpentry, tree removal and contract hauling of various kinds. He also did maintenance work for Cordon's Pie Shop in Pocatello for many years.
John applied that same work ethic to the labor of his heart: the pursuit of human rights and social justice. He was active for many decades in the local NAACP, leading the organization as its president for many years. He helped found the Pocatello Free Clinic in the early 1970's, making free and low-cost medical care accessible to low-income residents. He advocated for the legislation that led to the creation of the Idaho Human Rights Commission and was a founding member of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, the organization that brought the white supremist Aryan Nation to its knees. He was particularly interested in issues of housing. He helped establish a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, helped found the Pocatello Housing Authority and helped found the Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Service. He also served on the present-day Idaho Housing and Finance Association. He was recognized and honored by several organizations for his work in support of democracy and equal rights.
John was the last of his siblings to pass. He was preceded in death by his parents William Lemar and Irene Hill Purce, his brothers Leslie, Floyd, Lawson and James; his sisters Esther, Mabel and Daisy; and his brothers in spirit, Isaiah Stokes and Cleophas Doster.
He is survived by his wife, Idaho; his sons John Michael (LaDonna), Thomas Leslie (Jane) and Kim (Nikki); his daughters Deborah and Kellie (Svein); foster son Tony Spencer (Sandra); 14 grandchildren, the two oldest Monique and Zachary, whom he had a particular hand in raising, great-granddaughter Xenia; foster great-granddaughter Baby J; and a great-grandchild on the way. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews whom he held close to his heart; his cousin/brother Stanley Hill; dear family friends Donald Doster, Caroline Mahone, Gloria Boddie, Marilyn Doster, Ronnie Stokes and Robert Willis; and a multitude of friends who have wished him well and prayed for his well being.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 1, 2012 at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony's Church, 504 North 7th Ave., Pocatello Idaho. The viewing will be held Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 7 - 9 p.m. at St. Anthony's Church. Following the burial at Mountain View Cemetery, a Repast will be held at the Bonneville Neighborhood Community Center, 427 North 6th Ave.
The Purce family would like to thank everyone who has offered their support, their comfort and their love during this time. Donations may be made in John Purce's name to the following organizations close to his heart: Habitat for Humanity, the Idaho Food Bank, the Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Service, the Salvation Army, Pocatello St. Vincent de Paul, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.