Obituary of Leonard Ross Purvis

PURVIS – Leonard Ross, after a brief illness, passed away on January 23, 2018 at Mathews House Hospice, in Alliston, Ontario. Len was born in Gore Bay on March 18, 1927. As a child and young man, he spent his summers at Burnt Island. His first career choice was fishing, but the Lamprey eel changed this, as the tugs were laid up due to lack of trout and whitefish. He was asked to work on the fur farm and started his own fur farm in 1946. He decided to work in the U.S. in the late 1950’s and managed Blue Ribbon Mink Ranch in Illinois until 1962. He then managaed Potter & Son Mink Ranch in Wisconsin for the next 10 years. He managed Potter & Son Cranberry Marsh until his retirement in 2001, when he moved back to Ontario to live close to his children and their families. Dear father and stepfather to John Malcotte, Barb (Jim) Love, Carol Ryan and Lori (Tom) Novak. Len will also be missed by his grandchildren Larry (Lise), Len (Ashley), Nick (Vanessa) and Peter, and great grandchildren Kimberley, William and Kevin, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends in Canada and the U.S.A. He will be missed. Predeceased by his 1^st wife Sarah (Sally) (MacKenzie) and 2^nd wife Jeanne Anderson, daughter Marilyn, son in law Peter Ryan, parents Leonard Sr. and Mildred (Kemp), sisters Mildred (Frank) Major, Helen (Doug) Gordon, brothers Charles (Nell Gordon) Purvis and Kenneth (Beverley Brown) Purvis. A celebration of Len’s life will be held at the Lyon’s Memorial United Church, Gore Bay on Saturday August 4, 2018 at 11 am. Interment Gordon Cemetery.  Memorial donations may be made to the Lyon’s Memorial United Church or the Angel Bus and may be made through www.simpsonfuneralhome.ca