Pursie Edgar Pipes

Pipes Pursie Edgar Pipes, age 98, died peacefully on Saturday, February 13, 2016 with his loving family and friends at his side. Words can't begin to describe with enough color the true Pursie. Being born in West Virginia to a hard working oil family that worked in many places, including the Oklahoma Dust Bowl when Pursie was 10, taught him the value of hard work, toughness, and integrity. He earned his lot in business by hauling water to the oil wells and selling drilling bits. When he was 19, he saved enough money to buy his own oil rig, eventually becoming the sole owner of PEP Drilling Co. In 2006 he was inducted into the Ohio Oil and Gas Association Hall of Fame for drilling thousands of wells in OH. In addition to Ohio, he drilled in IL, OK, TX, NC, KY, Pa and W. Va. Pursie understood the value of relationships as he mentored many throughout his life and career. His employees remained always loyal to Pursie. While he loved the oil business, his true passion was golf. His natural ability, along with his hard work (Pursie hit 500 balls a day, 4 days a week) formed a phenomenal player. Even after he lost 3 fingers in a rigging accident, he continued to excel. He won over 180 amateur tournaments, including the Southern Illinois Golf Association Championship 10 times, causing SIGA to rename the trophy in his honor. He was one of two amateurs to make the cut for the 1988 US Senior Open Championship. He was clearly one of the greatest amateur golfers in history, even playing with Bob Hope and Gerald Ford, and being on the cover of Golf Week in 2014. His most memorable round was shooting a 64 at Worthington Hills Country Club to break the course record during the Member-Guest Tournament. He was a member of Muirfield Village Golf Club and Indian Creek Country Club. To be around Pursie was an enthralling and motivating experience. He was passionate about life; whether a fine steak, attending a concert, enjoying a milkshake, dancing like Fred Astaire, or singing Some Enchanted Evening. His perfect day was business in the morning, golf in the afternoon, a steak for dinner, and dancing at night. Pursie was preceded in death in 1991 after 40 years of marriage by his loving wife Norma, daughter Peggy Hynes, parents Joseph and Hattie Ireland Pipes, brother Bradie Pipes, and sister Georgie Snyder. He is survived by daughter, Angelia Leigh Rugnitz; son, Perry Pipes; granddaughters, Tiffany Yarborough, Stella and Francesca Pipes; grandson, Tay Hynes; great granddaughter, Angelica Stavrianakos; and girlfriend of 12 years, Brenda Ries. The family will receive friends on Thursday February 18, 2016 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at SCHOEDINGER MIDTOWN CHAPEL, 229 E State St. Columbus, OH 43215. There will be a private interment in Mt Vernon Memorial Gardens in Mt. Vernon, IL. On Pursie's birthday, May 21, 2016 there will be a Celebration of his Life at a place to be determined. Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share a memory and at a later date to learn the location and time of the May 21 Celebration. The family would like to offer their heartfelt thanks to the staff and medical professionals at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and The OSU Wexner Medical Center, especially Dr Leslie Andritsis. For those that wish, please consider a contribution in Pursie's name to either organization.