Charles Phillip Purrett

Charles Phillip Purrett of Lyons, Colorado, died Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette. He was 86 years old.Charles was born October 22, 1921, in Toledo, Ohio, the only child of Eugene Owen and Martha Laura (Eaton) Purrett. On April 2, 1943, he married Mildred Lois Glick in Shawnee, Oklahoma.In 1944, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and served in the European Theatre during WWII as a bombardier. He and his squad were awarded the Purple Heart after being shot down and rescued from the North Sea.Early in his career, Mr. Purrett used his training from Ohio State University in dairy technology, managing dairy operations in several states. He later worked for Champion Paper and Fiber Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio and was afforded the opportunity of international travel to many places in South America, Europe and even pre-Castro Cuba. He served as vice president of the Fibreboard Paper Products Company in San Francisco, and president of Kalva Corporation (chocolate manufacturers) in Gurnee, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Purrett moved from Lake Villa, Illinois to Lyons in 1975 following his retirement. Living in Colorado had been their long-time dream.Nature, animals and environmental concerns were of particular interest to him; therefore memorial donations are encouraged to the animal sanctuary or preservation society of the donor's choosing.Family was most important to him, and he cherished holidays and other special occasions. Those remaining to celebrate his memory include his daughter, Louise Ann (Stephen) Carroll of Port Townsend, Washington; three sons, Wayne Alexander (Tasa Lehman) Purrett of Portland, Oregon, Neil Owen Purrett of Boulder, and Randy Lee Purrett of Lafayette; three grandchildren, John Purrett, Stephen Carroll, Jr. and Kathryn Luray Prall; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Mildred, his wife of 60 years, and also by his parents.