Charles T. (Chuck) Purple, age 93, of Marco Island, Florida, passed away at 1:05 a.m. on February 16, 2019, at the Avow Hospice facility in Naples, Florida. At his side were his daughter and his wife.
Born Charles Teetor Purple on August 27, 1925 in South Bend, IN, the eldest son of John Edwin Purple, Sr. and Malinda (Turner) Purple. John Sr. and Malinda had one more son named John E. Purple, Jr. before their marriage dissolved in 1935. John Sr. later married Jamie (Dimmett) Purple before settling in Peoria, IL. John Sr. and Jamie had five children together before John Sr. passed away in 1948. One of those children, Tom Purple, Sr. was delivered by Chuck in the family home in 1939 when Chuck was 13 years old.
Several family members preceded Chuck in death, including his parents and four siblings. The order of their demise was as follows; Chuck’s bother, John E. Purple Jr., was killed in combat in Korea, followed by Chuck’s only sister, Jamie (Carl) Snider of Pekin, IL, followed by Frank (Carol) Purple, Spring Bay, IL, and lastly Daniel (Margurete) Purple, Deer Lodge, TN. Chuck was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary J. (Homoya) Purple of Peoria, IL.
Chuck is survived by two siblings, Tom (Phyllis) Purple Sr., of Byron, IL, and James (Ellen) Purple of Ooltewah, TN. Also surviving Chuck is his best friend of 68 years, and considered a brother, John Edwards of Carrollton, Texas.
Also surviving Chuck are his loving daughter Diane (William) Bray of Naples, FL, and his only grandchild Conrad Charles Bray, a graduate of West Point and a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Chuck is also survived by his wife of eleven years Alicia Purple of Marco Island, FL.
A graduate of Manual High School in Peoria, IL, Chuck was inducted into the U.S. Military in 1943. The U.S. Navy placed him in the 28th Special Construction Battalion or “SeaBees” where one of his shipmates labeled him the “World Champion winch driver/operator”. Chuck always tried to attend the SeaBee reunions wherever they took place over the years.
Returning to Peoria after the war Chuck adopted a zest for life that carried him through his last days, taking up golf, bowling, boating, and eventually flying his own plane. We suspect it was this period of time when Chuck first noticed he always seemed to be surrounded by “the prettiest girls in the room” and every girl seemed to be “the prettiest one of the bunch.” He loved listening to a variety of music.
His first civilian job was as an apprentice Tool and Die Maker for Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, IL. After graduating the apprenticeship, he was having so much success selling insurance part time he chose to sell insurance full time, beginning the first of two successful careers in Peoria, IL. It was during these years when he met his first wife, Mary J. Homoya. Their marriage of 52 years lasted until Mary’s death in 2005. They had one daughter, Diane Marie (Purple) Bray.
His second career began with the purchase of a small hearing aid business with one location and building it into the second largest hearing aid business in downstate Illinois, The Central Illinois Hearing Aid Center, Inc., with offices in several cities. Other accomplishments of note included being on the Board of Directors of Easter Seals of Central Illinois.
While still CEO of the Central Illinois Hearing Aid Centers. Inc., Chuck bought a lot in 1965 on this swampy little development called Marco Island, building a house in 1977. After retiring completely in 1988 he joined the snowbird migration, sometimes even towing his boat, the Proud Mary, back and forth between Peoria and Marco Island.
Travel, especially flying, was always a passion of Chuck’s and may have stemmed from his first flight as a young boy in Indiana when Chuck’s father took him to see a Barnstormer flying exhibition. John Purple Sr., then a newspaper editor, arranged for Chuck to have a ride in the plane with the “Barnstormer”. Chuck and Mary flew commercially to Europe several times. The flight he may have enjoyed the most was a domestic flight to Washington D.C. called The Collier County Honor Flight.
Chuck was a lifelong member of The American Legion, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Masonic Lodge and Shriners International while living and working in Peoria. His membership in the YMCA spanned 84 years. He continued to be active in these organizations after moving to Marco Island full time in 2013, joining the Marco Island Shrine Club and even helping to establish the Marco Island American Legion Post #404.
Chuck and Alicia Purple have long been members of the United Church of Christ of Marco Island. The church grounds are where Chuck’s ashes will be interred. The funeral will be at 4 p.m. on March 2, 2019. Pastor Mark Williams will be officiating. Military rites will be accorded.
The family wishes to thank everyone for your prayers and special kindness extended to Chuck during his last days. In lieu of flowers, we know Chuck would be so pleased to know more donations were made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. The address for the international headquarters is: Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL, 33607 (Attn: Donor Support).
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