Faye Genevieve Purtzer

1920 - 2021

Faye Genevieve (Sandahl) Purtzer

Phoenix - Faye Genevieve (Sandahl) Purtzer, 100, of Phoenix, AZ, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Saturday, January 30, 2021 at her home in Scottsdale, AZ after a several years long battle with dementia and Alzheimer's.

A true farm girl, she was born on her parents' farm near Wakefield, Nebraska on October 7, 1920. Faye attended a country school near Wakefield, then high school in Wayne, NE, and finally Wayne State Teachers College where she met the love of her life, Horace C. Purtzer, and later graduated in 1947. In the midst of her studies, she temporarily moved to Ft. Worth, TX with her sister to help the war effort by working at Lockheed Martin.

On December 26, 1946, Faye and Horace married at Salem Lutheran Church in Wakefield. Not long after, they moved to Des Moines, IA and they were blessed with two sons. In 1952, the family moved to Phoenix, AZ where they created a wonderful life. Faye's two biggest passions in life were her faith and her family. She was a supportive and loving wife to her husband, a dedicated mother to her boys, and a doting "Nana" to her grands. The family loved everything golf and were heavily involved in the Arizona golf community, as well as their church. She also worked outside the home for a time, first as a middle school teacher, and later in her husband's medical office.

Faye never met a stranger. She would strike up a conversation with anyone - and did! She loved the simple things - coffee, crossword puzzles, and cooking for her family. She treasured her children and grandchildren and cherished every moment with all of them.

Faye has been reunited in Heaven with those who preceded her - her beloved husband of 70 years, Dr. H.C. Purtzer; her parents Edward and Minnie (Frederickson) Sandahl; two sisters, Marian Biermann and Virginia Kerber; and two brothers, Allen and Morris Sandahl. She was a loving mother and is survived by her two sons, Paul (Kathy) Purtzer and Tom Purtzer, ten grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many treasured friends.

Anyone who knew her, knew that she operated on "Purtzer Standard Time" and was always running late…we were all accustomed to hearing her husband, "Purtz," yelling "Hurry up, Faye!" from the garage with the car running. I imagine he's been saying that sentiment since he left us in 2016. As was her way until the end, she was a little late, but they're finally together again.

The family is planning a small private service and ask that in lieu of flowers, any memorial donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association. Donations can be made online at https://act.alz.org/donate .

Please visit hansenmortuary.com for online condolences.