PURVES John Purves
Obituary
John spent his early life in Ivanhoe and attended Northcote High School. He was very interested in sport and played cricket and baseball competitively. After a stint with the Railways as a clerk, he joined the RAAF and served with distinction in the war against the Japanese, gaining the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war he was engaged in bringing prisoners out of Changi POW Camp, Singapore.
He married in 1946 to Esma, firstly living in Ivanhoe then Beaumaris and to Rowville in 1989.
John and Esma had two children, Robyn and Ian. Early in his marriage John qualified in accounting and worked as Secretary/Manager of the Electricity Supply Association of Australia and found a lot of fulfillment in his work. He was a committed Christian and was active in the Baptist and Church of Christ and was Secretary of Cheltenham Church of Christ for some years. He loved to preach at times - his wit and humour were phenomenal.
After his retirement in 1982, he became Secretary of the Chesterville Retirement Centre, Cheltenham; Secretary of the Rowville-Lysterfield Community News and Treasurer of Rowville Church of Christ. He loved to spend time with his five grandchildren.
He was a wonderful husband, father and papa, and is greatly missed. To know him was to love him.
First published in the August 1994 edition of the Rowville-Lysterfield Community News.