Robert H. Purrington

Robert H. Purrington, still blonde, blued eyed and handsome at 80, died October 24, 2019 at his home with family at his side. He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Carolyn, her two children and their spouses; Peter (Gina) VanAmburgh of Roswell, GA; Heidi (Jim) VanAmburgh Buol of Eastham, MA. He has three cherished grandchildren: Madison Buol, Renee and Rachel VanAmbugh. He is survived by his sister Gail Winkley of Augusta, GA and her two children Donna Winkley of CA and Mark Winkley of AZ. He is also survived by his brother Dave and his wife Cindy, his two daughters: Brooke (Brad) Laxton and Ashley (Paul) Halloran. They each have three children: Avery, Olivia, Regan, Pete, Jake, and Sam.

Robert was born in Franklin, NH, lived in Winchester, MA, Pelham, NY and Scituate, MA. After high school, he spent four years in the Navy, specializing in submarine sonar. He then attended UMass Amherst and graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management, a perfect match for his personality. After a brilliant career with The Sheraton chain, he owned and operated two restaurants, The Crab Cooker and The Saloon in Colorado.

A fire in his condo drove him home to Scituate where he reacquainted an old sweetheart from UMass. Carolyn became his wife for 37 years. He went to Kilington, VT where he was Food, Beverage and Lodging Manager for a few years, then he was given the opportunity to become the Manager of Ocean Edge in Brewster, Cape Cod. From there, he became the Innkeeper of the famous Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. For twenty fabulous years, the Inn became Robert and Carolyn's home. It was a job that so suited the both of them. They retired after twenty years spending their time divided between family on the Cape, Maine, Georgia, and Florida. Golfing, fun and friends filled their retirement with cherished memories.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn from 12-4 PM on Monday, Dec. 2nd for friends and family of Robert. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, a non-profit historic trust. No matter what the age, his ability to make people laugh made him so unique. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.