By Forbes Funeral Home
Alexandra “Sandy” Hall Purves, 79, of Sturgeon Bay, WI passed away on November 13, 2018 in Nashville, TN. She was born December 4, 1938 in Osterville, MA to Cyril and Elspeth (Reid) Hall.
Sandy graduated from Barnstable (MA) High School and received her Registered Nursing degree from Framingham State University. Upon graduation, Sandy joined the United States Air Force receiving her nursing training at Gunter AFB in Montgomery, AL. She was stationed at Amarillo AFB in Texas before being transferred to Sculthorpe Air Base near Norfolk, England. Sandy reached the rank of Captain. While stationed at Bentwaters Air Base near Woodbridge, England, Sandy met the love of her life, Major John Dorchester Purves of Sturgeon Bay, WI. John and Sandy were married on August 6, 1965.
After being stationed at Air Force Bases in Victorville, CA and Sumter, SC, John, Sandy and their two daughters settled in Centerville, MA before returning to Sturgeon Bay, WI in 1979. For the past 15 years, she and John spent the winter months at their home in Nashville, TN.
Sandy was the consummate homemaker and brought beauty to all things: her garden, her home, her dinner table and most importantly in the love of her husband and family. Sandy enjoyed years of delivering Meals on Wheels with her good friend, Ami Lindemeyer. She especially enjoyed her opportunities to go shopping with her daughters and granddaughters.
Sandy is survived by her devoted husband John Dorchester Purves; two daughters Heather (Tim) Gregory of Franklin, TN and Mary (Kevin) Waco of Chicago, IL; four grandchildren John “Jack” Gregory, Ava Gregory, Reid Waco and Sheri Waco; two brothers Stetson (Jane) Hall of Osterville, MA and Reid (Leslie) Hall of Barnstable, MA, and several nieces and nephews.
The Purves family would like to thank the kind doctors, nurses and staff of the Vanderbilt University Ingram Cancer Center and of the Health Center at Richland Place. Special thanks to her Guardian Angel, Betty Killion, and to Richland Place caregivers Trina Reed, David P. Pope, Bam Nance and Tara Rowley.
A private family service will be conducted in Sturgeon Bay, WI in the spring. The family requests memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society or the Door County Aging & Disability Resource Center for “Meals on Wheels”.
