Wouldn't It Be Nice... - Loss

Wouldn't It

Be Nice...

Brian Wilson

I see dead people.

Each week I lay out the obituary pages in The Star News. I make a point of reading through each one.

I look at the events and stories of the lives of strangers and friends. My imagination fills in the gaps, picturing the reunions, celebrations and sorrows they experienced throughout their lives.

Each week, I read the stories of people I know and those I regret not taking the time to know better.

In the past few months I have been seeing the names and faces of many more people I know.

I recognize that is largely a function of my own age and the fact that by the nature of my job, I interact with a great deal of people. However, it still hits hard when I see the obituary of a spouse of a former coworker, or someone I have shared a beer with at an event or worked with to get a project underway, or even interviewed for a story.

I was thinking about this over the weekend when I ran into Mike Platt when my wife and I were going out to breakfast. He stopped me to tell me that Dean Purdy had passed and that Mike had written up something about him and would send it to me to share with our readers.

Remembering Dean Purdy

There isn’t anyone who has bowled or golfed in Medford who has not heard the name Dean Purdy. Dean's name and /or picture is on plaques or framed Star News articles in bowling lanes, golf courses and restaurants throughout Medford for high scores, holes in one and a member of countless championship teams.

Dean started bowling when he was about 40 in the 1960's and has bowled with just about everyone who has ever laced up a pair of bowling shoes at Milly's, Classic Lanes, Lumpy's or The Sports Page.

Dean was an inspiration to everyone younger than him as he would often walk 18 holes of golf and then be able to bowl that evening well into his 80's. Dean had quite a sense of humor with a wide variety of jokes that I think he picked up from his wife of 50 years Cherrie, often showing his appreciation to a 'full grown woodchuck's head' or his favorite story of a farmer selling his peaches.

When Dean stopped bowling a few years back he asked me if I would speak at his celebration of life party (that will be at a later date). I told him that I would be honored to and that I knew what I would say. After telling him, his response was classic Dean Purdy, 'That's beautiful, I'm just sorry I'm gonna miss it.”

They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing, and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time. Dean Purdy will live in the hearts and minds of a lot of people for a really long time. Godspeed my good friend.

— Mike Platt

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News. Contact Brian at BrianWilson@centralwinews.com.