Lt. Col. Stafford D. ("Dave") Purvis, Jr., USMC (Ret.) departed this life on May 23, 2006. He was born in Miami in 1940 and joined the Marine Corps in 1958 as a Private. After attending Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and served a total of 27 1/2 years as a Field Artillery Officer and Logistics Officer, serving in Vietnam 1965 -1966 and 1969 - 1970. Lt. Col. Purvis was well known in the Amphibious Warfare community and was always a Marine. He distinguished himself by receiving the Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. Dave received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale.

After retirement from the Marine Corps in 1986, Dave joined Halifax Engineering where he was instrumental in founding Halifax Technical Services, and in which he was promoted to Vice President and served as the Program Manager for the Maritime Prepositioning Ships Program at Blount Island, FL. In 1990, he co-founded Quantic Engineering and Logistics Corporation and has served as Vice President and part owner since. In 2002 Dave retired again, this time to his woodworking shop.

He is survived by his loving wife Judy, children Jill Morrison, Kathleen Purvis (Sam), and Mark Purvis (Linda); and grandsons, Jeff and Scott Morrison. He is remembered also by his special family including Suzanne Noel-Copeland, Harold and Marilynne Sowell and Sandra Gibbons. He was predeceased by his mother, Evie, and his father, Stafford, Sr.

The family will receive friends at the Wilson Funeral Home on Airport Rd. from 6 - 8 PM on Monday, May 29. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 9:00 AM, Tuesday, May 30 at St. Dominic's Catholic Church. Internment will be at the Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola. Donations may be made to the American Heart Association.