Helen Purnell

Known for her striking good looks, quick wit, class, sophistication and impeccable style, there was far more to Helen Purnell than met the eye.

Born in Norfolk Virginia on May 10, 1928 to the late Lawson Lamb Sr. and the late Phoebe Cuffee Lamb; Helen was the last surviving and youngest of 14 children from this union.

She is preceded in death also, by her husband, the late Reverend Doctor James Harry Purnell, whom she married in 1950 and her only son, the late Michael Lawrence Purnell.

She is survived by her only daughter, Doctor Kim LaVern Purnell (Ray Grady). She also leaves to mourn her passing, 5 grandchildren - Michael, Rochelle, Marlon, Khadejah and Khalil; 8 Great Grandchildren; 3 Great Great Grandchildren.

Helen also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, a loving church community and countless friends, mentees and associates.

If you know anything about Helen, you know that she was always a step above and beyond – a wonderful balance of the best of what is ancestral and traditional and that which is forward thinking and empowering – embracing and striving beyond the norm, while yet holding on to what grounds and centers us. She was the only of her siblings to graduate high school. She aspired (though secretly) to be an attorney at a time when teachers discouraged ideas of this nature; She was the first female to graduate from Tri-Cities Barber College as a licensed Barber —not a beautician—yet, while serving as first lady of her husband’s church, she did not hesitate to roll her sleeves up and help in the kitchen. She was what she needed to be, when she needed to be it. And when she set her mind to do something, not only did she get it done, but it was done exceptionally well.

Helen was not only a superb cook, but an incredible interior decorator, excellent hostess, talented and gifted gardener, creative and near expert seamstress, general contractor on many of her own home renovation projects, terrific dancer, superior communicator and writer, wise counsel and mentor to many, both young and old.

Helen Purnell was indeed more than met the eye. But when she did meet your eye, you would be very well pleased -- no one could pull together a look better than she. No one.

But beyond that, Helen was a woman who showed you how to make lemons out of lemonade in the truest sense. Having grown up with very little materially, having lost her mother before she came to know her at all, having been raised by her eldest sister, Bella and moving to NJ from all she knew in VA, Helen set out on a mission to achieve HER dreams. She did things HER way. She accomplished most of HER goals in this life. And then she went home to be with the Lord.

Now, in His arms we can rest assured that her most important goal has finally been accomplished…and that is to know without a shadow of a doubt that she was loved beyond measure.