Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Purnell, Harold A., 2000 

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HAROLD A. PURNELL 

  Harold Andrew "Hap" Purnell, 90, of the 600 block of Clay St., died April 7, 
2000, at Southampton Memorial Hospital. 

  He was born Oct. 18, 1909, in Camden, N.J., a son of the late Oliver and 
Emily Richards Purnell.  He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Florence 
Steinhardt Purnell, six nephews and two nieces. 

  He graduated from Guilford College and attended the University of North 
Carolina and the University of Chicago.  He was in the first communications 
class of Harvard University, USN, in 1942.  He served in the Navy from 1942 
to 1945.  He was the communications officer aboard the USS Rixey and the USS 
El Dorado, where he served under Adm. Turner's flag ship.  He participated in 
the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and was on his way to Tokyo when the 
treaty was declared.  He was a teacher and coach at Denton High School, 
Greensboro High School and Franklin High School.  He was the first certified 
hospital administrator at Raiford Memorial Hospital.  He retired from G.H. 
Steinhardt Co. Inc. in 1974.  He was a member of High Street United Methodist 
Church, American Legion Post 73, where he served as commander, secretary and 
treasurer for two terms, American Legion Boys State Hall of Fame, Guilford 
College Hall of Fame, Pythian Lodge and the VFW.  He was a former member of 
the Franklin Cotillion Club for 50 years, a former member of Cypress Cove 
Country Club and Hunterdale Ruritan Club.  He organized Boy Scout Troop 28 in 
1939.  He was explorer counselor for the Sea Explorer Ship in Franklin, a 
merit badge counselor and was on the board of the American Red Cross.  He was 
interested in the youth of today and their development in sports and character. 

  Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the chapel of Wright 
Funeral Home, followed by a military burial in Poplar Spring Cemetery, with 
the Rev. Edward C. Johnson and the Rev. Dr. Ira D. Hudgins officiating. 
Visitation will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. today at the funeral home. 
Memorial donations may be made to High Street United Methodist Church, 301 
W. First Ave., Franklin, VA 23851, or to the American Legion Post 73, c/o G.W. 
DeHaven, 1328 Clay St., Franklin, VA 23851. 


Harold Andrew "Hap" PURNELL, retired merchant, former h.s. teacher & coach, 
Navy veteran of WW-II, 
b. 18 Oct 1909, Camden, NJ, d. 7 Apr 2000, Franklin, 
interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Annex 2, Plot 166*), Franklin, 
   10 Apr 2000, 
"Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), Apr. 9, 2000, B7 

*Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Poplar Spring list: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/psanx2.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/p654h1ob.txt