William Scahill "Bill" Purdom

1953 - 2016

WILLIAM "BILL" SCAHILL PURDOM William "Bill" Scahill Purdom, 62, of Wilmington, NC passed away Thursday, June 30, 2016 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. He was born October 27, 1953 in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of the late John Lucian Purdom and Jeanne Britt Purdom. Bill grew up in Wyoming, Ohio and attended Wyoming High School and then Auburn University where he studied visual design. The next 19 years were spent working and living in New York City. His work at the Whistl`n Dixie Studio for Bloomingdales gained him international acclaim. This notoriety allowed him to be self-employed. Used by every major advertising agency in New York, Bill has also illustrated billboards, movie posters, album covers and worked on national campaigns for Mercedes Benz, Nikon, Panasonic, American Express, and the three major television networks. He was the first artist allowed by Steven Spielberg to paint "E.T." (in a national campaign for McDonald's). While living in New York he was a major contributor to The New York Times and his work appeared in many national magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Fortune, Time, Esquire, Sport, and National Lampoon. In NYC, Bill was on the Board of Directors of the American Museum of Illustration and the Society of Illustrators. After 12 years of award winning advertising and editorial illustration, Bill switched his focus to fine arts. Since 1989 he has painted to date 121 great moments in baseball, including 10 first pitch paintings of the new MLB ballparks. His baseball lithographs have been seen on the hit television shows "Seinfeld," "Arliss," "Eight Simple Rules," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and in the Oscar nominated movie "Moneyball." His originals hang in private collections worldwide and 102 lithos of his paintings are in the permanent collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bill has done lithographs for the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA, and (thoroughbreds for) the Saratoga Raceway. Bill is the most prolific artist in the history of the Topps Co., Inc. To date he has painted 340 baseball, football, and basketball cards. Bill is the only artist who has been licensed by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to commemorate the racing legend. On QVC, when presented on air, his 80 card set telling the life story of Dale Earnhardt sold 18,000 units in 15 minutes. His stein celebrating the life of Dale Earnhardt completely sold out, as did his framed lithograph of the great driver, which sold 54,000 units in 24 hours. Due to Bill's uncanny ability to capture likenesses, his portraits are highly prized and in great demand. Bill was a technical advisor for Billy Crystal's Mantle and Maris movie "61*" and the documentary "Hano". On the fiftieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut, MLB handed out 250,000 copies of Bill's painting of that special moment to lucky fans in Major League ballparks across America. When they won their first World Championship in 86 years, the Red Sox selected Bill to paint and market a limited edition lithograph that is the definitive visual statement of their miraculous season. Similar projects ensued with the World Champion Steelers and the Baltimore Colts 1958 World Champions 50th Reunion. In 2006 The Cincinnati Reds and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum both chose Bill to create ongoing fine art litho programs celebrating their respective classic moments. The families of Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson picked Bill to paint their legendary ancestors. Next came Purdom paintings to celebrate the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Reds Hall of Fame and the San Francisco Giants. In 2008 every Reds ticket featured a painting by Bill, the first time in history that every game day ticket has utilized fine art. In 2009, Bill was chosen to officially paint the last pitch at the old Yankee Stadium and the first pitch at the new Yankee Stadium. Bill is the latest artist to be chosen by the U.S. Department of State to have his work hung in U.S. Embassies around the world. When the Dallas Cowboys built their new stadium they asked Bill to do 2 paintings of it. Immediately after that the NBHOF asked Bill to paint the definitive 1912 Fenway Park image to celebrate the storied ballpark's 100th Anniversary. Arnold Palmer chose Bill to create a series of paintings/lithos to celebrate the great moments in the golfing legend's career. This year, the L.A. Dodgers became the latest team to start collecting Bill's originals (including 4 4'x6' murals) for their stadium luxury suites. The NBHOF chose Bill to create the "Official Painting" celebrating their 75th Anniversary. Bill was an avid reader, he loved history, antiques, art, sports. He was a member of Saint Andrews Covenant Presbyterian Church, a member of the Civil War Round Table in NYC, member of The Surf Club, and a former member of the Civitan Club. Surviving are his wife, Lisa G Purdom; son, William S Purdom Jr. of The United States Naval Academy; brother, John L Purdom Jr.; sister in law, Debbie G Purdom; niece, Gibson Purdom Arling; and nephew, John L Purdom lll. Visit www.andrewsmortuary.com for memorial service details. The family would like to extend appreciation and gratitude to the doctors and nurses at NHRMC Cardiac Services. Memorials may be made to St. Andrews Covenant-Presbyterian Church or the charity of one's choice. Condolences to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com