Daniel Purvis

Daniel Daniel Boyd Purvis, 71, passed peacefully on Sunday, November 30, 2025, after a long, courageous battle with cancer.

If you knew Dan, you knew his love of five things: his family; food; classic cars, motorcycles, and anything with a motor; his friendships; and the experiences that turned ordinary days into stories worth retelling. And if you knew Dan, you also knew-without question-that he was the strongest person you'd ever meet.

Dan was born in Tipton, Indiana, in 1954 to Frank and Martha Purvis. His story of strength began on day one: he entered the world premature, weighing just over a pound. That fighter's instinct, "Mind over Matter Always Wins" philosophy, became the thread running through his entire life. He spoke fondly of growing up on Independence Street beside his older siblings, Ronny, Mary, Jane, and Marc, where roots were planted that never left him.

A proud graduate of Tipton High School's class of 1973, Dan began his career in the food industry at Rath Packing in 1974. There, the spark was lit for what would become his life's work and legacy.

In 1979, his only daughter, Danielle A. Purvis (Vann), was born. Shortly after, he set off to Oklahoma to build a new life-one that led him to the love of his life, Sonya E. Purvis. Together, they created a home, a partnership, and a life filled with purpose, grit, and joy.

In 1986, with only a few hundred dollars in his pocket (as he loved to say), Dan bet on himself and opened Dan's Food Service-a food distribution company that served pasta, pizza, deli, and far more. With a couple of small box trucks, a two-wheeler, and a modest warehouse on North Virginia Avenue, Dan went door to door building relationships, trust, and dreams. He cherished his employees-many of whom spent most of their careers with him-and he was a loyal friend and steadfast partner to customers he still called friends decades later.

As Dan's grew, so did his vision. He expanded into an old skating rink next door-where Danielle spent her summers skating through rows of stacked tomato cans-and later moved into the well-loved Lincoln location. On the morning he opened its doors, he stood quietly on the sidewalk, taking in what he had built. "Pride and joy" could never quite capture it. Along the way, he dabbled in owning restaurants, too.

After retiring, he sold the business to his friends at Ben E. Keith but didn't stay idle long. He returned to the work he loved alongside his longtime customers-his "family"-at Hideaway Pizza.

Outside of work, Dan lived with a zest for life few could match. He spent weekends racing go-karts, rebuilding classic cars, annual Sturgis rides, roaming the open road with family and close friends, and proudly supporting the Shriners, of which he was a member. Wherever he went, he brought wild wonder, deep curiosity, and an unshakable desire to create moments worth remembering. If you couldn't reach him, he was probably on a dance floor somewhere-listening to music, laughing, and cutting up a rug.

Dan's fighter spirit carried him through a courageous battle with cancer that began in 2011. He never gave up. Even in the darkest moments, he let his faith guide him, and he met every hardship with grit, humor, and heart. And a famous, "Oh well! What can you do?"

Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Martha; his eldest brother, Ron; and his wife of 32 years, Sonya Elaine Purvis. He leaves behind his daughter, Danielle Vann, her mother and first wife, Cheryl Purvis, Danielle's husband Todd, and his three grandchildren-Delaney, Madison, and Chappell-who adored their "Pawpa." He is also survived by his sisters Mary Miller and Jane VerBryck and husband Gary; his brother Marc Purvis and wife Rhonda; nieces, nephews, cousins. He spent the last eight years with his devoted girlfriend and caretaker Vicki Garner, who went above and beyond in their relationship. Of course, he leaves behind countless friends-truly too many to name-who loved him.

We will miss his devious smile, his famously bad dad jokes, his habit of answering the phone with "Taco Bell!" and his tradition of ending those conversations with "Fleas on your dog" or "Merry Christmas."

Services will be held Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at noon at First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City, 1001 NW 25th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, where Dan spent many holidays serving, and personally delivered produce to support the Food Bank throughout the years.

Arrangements are under the direction of Buchanan's Funeral Home of Oklahoma City.