Thomas Edward Purcell

Tom was born on April 4, 1944 in Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Fairfield College Preparatory School in 1962 and received a B.A. from Fordham University in 1966, where he was a member of R.O.T.C. He went on to complete his M.A. from Fordham in 1968. He entered active duty with the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany for 2 years. When he returned, Tom completed his C.A.S. from Fairfield University in 1974 and his Doctor of Education from The University of Sarasota in 1990. Dr. Purcell was a teacher at Danbury High School for 42 years until his retirement in 2009.

Dr. Purcell was a member of Phi Delta Kappa and was named their Professional Educator of the Year in 1999. In 2014, he was given the Excellence in Teaching Award from The National Society of Leadership and Success. He was also recognized as an Honored Member of Cambridge Who’s Who, and was twice acknowledged in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

Tom was an active member of St. Peter’s Church in Danbury and he enjoyed watching the Yankees. However, his true passion was traveling. He spent hours carefully planning his trips and sharing the details through pictures and videos. His travels took him to nearly 50 foreign countries and on countless adventures.

He is survived by several extended family members. He is predeceased by his parents, Thomas E. and Rita (Kane), his sister Mary (Purcell) Reilly and his niece Claire Reilly.

With respect to Tom’s wishes, all services will be held privately at a later date. The family requests that any donations be made to the Danbury Hospital Development Fund in support of the Praxair Cancer Center.