Wayne Purdy Sr.'s Obituary
C. “WAYNE” PURDY, SR., 83, of Clearwater, died Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at BayCare Alliant Hospital in Dunedin due to complications after surgery.
Predeceased by his mother, Evelyn (Page) Purdy, father, Everett Purdy, and brother, Edward Purdy, he leaves behind his loving and devoted wife and best friend of 61 years, Atala (Hogan) Purdy; his two sons and daughter - Wayne Purdy, Jr. of Safety Harbor, Martin Purdy and his wife Llisiana of Belleair, and Kathleen Purdy of Safety Harbor, as well as nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren:
Charleen (Purdy) Eckard (daughter of Wayne Jr. and Catherine Cooley-Purdy) and her husband Robert Eckard
Their children, Christiana and Crayton Eckard
Wayne Purdy III (son of Wayne Jr. and Catherine Cooley-Purdy) and his wife Emily (DeGarmo) Purdy
Their child, Kaydence
Stephanie (Purdy) Ferry (daughter of Wayne Jr. and Catherine Cooley-Purdy) and her husband Brad Ferry
Their children, Khylee and Jayce who is on the way
Christopher Purdy (son of Wayne Jr. and Catherine Cooley-Purdy)
Nolan Purdy (son of Martin and Llisiana)
Gracie Purdy (deceased daughter of Martin and Llisiana)
Michael Auger (son of Kathleen and Robert Auger)
Brian Auger (son of Kathleen and Robert Auger)
His son, Aiden Auger
Matthew Auger (son of Kathleen and Robert Auger)
Born in New Canaan, Connecticut, he grew up and attended school in Stamford, Connecticut. Deciding after finishing the eighth grade that school was not challenging him enough, he quit school and went to work in New York at a local garage as an auto mechanic.
Then, at the age of 21, he and his girlfriend of four years, Atala, eloped and came to Florida where he continued working as a mechanic for a handful of local garages until deciding to make a go at opening his own garage. In 1958, with a $1,000 loan and the full support of his wife, he established Wayne Purdy European Motors in Clearwater, renting out a few garage bays and office space in which to do business. Through hard work and dedication, his business thrived and in 1975 he was able to secure his own plot of land and build his “dream” auto service center just next door to the rented facilities. The family-owned and operated business continues to thrive today, 59 years later, and is an active supporter of the local community and charities.
His early interests and hobbies include go-kart racing, building and racing cars, and racing hydroplane boats. Later, he delved deeply into electronics, computer technology, and circuit board technology, creating PSA Design Systems, through which he did work for clients as big as Honeywell and NASA, for whom he designed a printed circuit board that is currently used in the U.S. space program. Completely self-taught, he became a master of basically anything with moving parts, and more. From his early days in mechanics, continuing throughout his lifetime, friends, family, acquaintances, and peers began to realize that, if no one else could fix it, this is the man that could. And no one challenged him more than he continuously challenged himself. His family and friends will say that he was a genius, at which he would scoff, yet, with all his knowledge, he was never belittling or condescending.
He was a dedicated and loyal son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. Always modest and humble, he freely used his God-given talents to help others and to seek out opportunities to serve others. He was an unassuming, simple, and selfless man in all respects who quietly gave of himself without boasting or bragging. And when someone gave freely to him and asked him what more they could do, he would likely reply with the question, “Now, what can I do for you?”
Visitation will be held on Monday, from 6 – 8 Pm at Moss Feaster Funeral Home, 693 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 AM on Tuesday at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1955 S. Belcher Road, Clearwater.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Moffitt Cancer Research Center, Morton Plant Mease Foundation, or the Gracie G. Purdy Foundation, a local, non-profit organization devoted to helping children with terminal or catastrophic illnesses and their families. For more information or to post a tribute, please visit www.mossfeasterclearwater.com
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