Comments on: Elizabeth Purcell

By: nanking

nanking — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:28:50 +0000

What a wonderful tribute to Liz. As spring begins, I am thinking how much I will miss seeing Liz on the Brownstone Trail and working in her yard. I always loved running into her and catching up on news of her family in Australia and of course her children and beloved grandsons. Her energy seemed boundless as did her love of her family! She and I shared many stories about kids and grandchildren and she was always generously offering us things she no longer needed as Dante and Logan grew older. Her generosity also extended to really caring about people she got to know and when I was going through my breast cancer treatment she was happy to walk with me and always lifted my spirit with her energy and positivity. As her journey with cancer unfolded, it was no surprise that she was very open about what she was going through and kept on fighting with her remarkable energy! I remember going for a long walk with her in the fall at a new trail she wanted to check out and was worried it was too much for her but she wanted to do it anyway. We made it back to the car and I know she was very tired but happy to have done it! Before Christmas this year she came over and we baked cut-out cookies so she would have some kangaroos and koala bears for Dante when he and his dad visited over Christmas. We had such a good time and when we finished she went to the couch and sat looking at the tree and I think we both knew she was unlikely to share another Christmas with family and yet she seemed at peace. I cherish that picture of her! As spring flowers begin to bloom, I know that Liz’s spirit is blooming as well!! Miss you Liz!

By: connell

connell — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 02:02:31 +0000

There is so much to say about Liz Purcell. Her positive outlook, warm smile, energy, and so many attributes. I miss Liz tending to her “garden” when I walked our road or watching her “exercise” as she went down the Brownstone Trail. I also owe her many thanks for introducing my son, Ryan to tennis. Liz personally took Ryan with her to Washburn and introduced him to tennis. He fell in love with it and due to Liz’s encouragement, he became a competitive player and started to win matches when playing with her. I believe Liz was proud of her student and to this day, Ryan still enjoys tennis and plays with the intensity that Liz instilled!!
This part of my message goes to Dante and Logan. Your grandmother was one of the bravest women I have ever known. When she was diagnosed, it was NOT a “death” sentence but a message to enjoy life everyday! Cancer was not going to defeat her, only make her more fierce and determined! Any setback just increased her intensity to win. Where many people would have folded their cards, your Grandmother bet the bank and won so many times. We had numerous talks about when to let go and I always told her, only she would know, she would know. If you can inherit your Grandmother’s strength and love of life, you are going to do great things. When life gets you down, just ask her what to do and she will be there to guide you. She was so very proud of you and was looked forward to your visits. Your Grandmother Liz was one of the strongest women I have ever had the honor to know!
I hope Liz you have found that place with the peace we discussed. I miss you now and forever!

By: patandbob1

patandbob1 — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 12:54:59 +0000

Liz was a special friend and a shining light to anyone who
has met her. She brought smiles wherever
she was – even through her battle with cancer.
I will keep the treasured memories of holiday gatherings,
hikes on Mt Ashwabay, canoeing adventures,
qigong retreat in Ely, and many more good times – always.
Judi Maloney

By: golfangel

golfangel — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 04:03:33 +0000

The family have written a wonderful tribute to my sister – just a little more from me.
After travelling and working in England for a year Elizabeth and her friend Jenny nee MacKellar (Tedeschi) secured positions as au pairs in New York. Towards the end of their time in NYC they treated themselves to a holiday in San Francisco, there Elizabeth met a handsome chap called Tom and the rest is history.
By marrying Tom she had a bonus family of two, Rebecca (6years) and Thomas (2 years) and some three years later Brett was born.
It was in Sacramento that her love of tennis was rekindled and she encouraged Tom to play as well. This was a great way to meet friends and this they did and many more when they moved to Minneapolis, where Tom had joined an ophthalmology practice.
Life threw her some challenges and living through a winter in Minneapolis was certainly one of them! I visited part way through this first winter and was equally lacking in deep freeze skills as Elizabeth! So before meeting Tom with the car loaded up with children and luggage to head into the deep woods for a week, we put the car through a car wash. It didn’t take Tom long to realise why he was unable to open the trunk on arrival!
Anyone who has taken the flight from Minneapolis to Perth will know it is not for the faint hearted but Elizabeth was so keen to show off her young family to her parents and friends that she gathered up her flock and took off. Brett was 9 months old and picked up an ear infection along the way. No need to say more about how she felt on arrival! That was the first of many long haul flights between Minneapolis and Perth. And then when they moved to Bayfield, another 4 hour car ride!
In spite of the challenges she was presented with, she focused on being positive about life. She was a great listener and thus friends loved to spend time with her. She was a quietly determined person, who wanted to be the best she could be in whatever endeavour she chose. She loved the tennis community she became an integral part of in Minneapolis and developed many lasting friendships. And later, golf when they moved to Bayfield and I was so thrilled for her when she won the club championships.
At least 35 years ago Elizabeth and I won the Ladies Doubles Champs at the Geraldton (a town about 350 km north of Perth) Easter tournament. As only my sister would do, she traded in her cash prize to bring home some locally caught bald chin groper (fish) so Mum and Dad could also enjoy the fruits of our labour!
When Tom took a liking for sailing while he was working, most weekends were spent up at Bayfield where they bought a condominium. While she suffered from most forms of motion sickness, Tom noticed that when she was on a catamaran she looked at ease. So that led to the next exciting challenge: building a catamaran and sailing off down to Mexico and surrounds.
No matter where she was in the world or who she was with, whether it was her own young children or in later years her grandchildren or friends or her parents she was always planning activities suitable for whoever she was with. One of the last being a dog sled ride for Brett and Dante just this past Christmas. I skyped with them at this time and she looked radiant.
After her diagnosis 5 years ago she dedicated her life to living as healthily as possible and did all she could to impart those healthy values to anyone willing to listen and in particular to Logan and Dante. In fact I think she could easily have been awarded an Honorary Degree in Health Sciences.
She loved spending time in her garden – it was her sanctuary and it became even more important to her as her illness took its toll.
She always worked to make our partings easier so for my past two visits she organised to meet friends, have dinner and then while the friends and I played golf she would head back home. In spite of everything I always believed I would see her again when we said goodbye last August and I believe we will but in a different place.
To my inspirational sister: farewell. I will always carry a little of your fighting spirit.
Lynette

By: patandbob1

patandbob1 — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 18:21:54 +0000

Liz and I shared so many active “adventures” together while in Bayfield—hiking, walking dogs—and of of the MOST memorable—learning to play golf together in 1999. She went at golf, the same way that she did at tennis—-and soon became much better than I ever did—but she never made me feel inadequate on the tennis court or the golf course. She gave me so much encouragement in all aspects of my life—even after we didn’t live near each other. And this continued despite her own worries and discomforts. A more caring person, I have never known. Her death leaves a huge hole in my heart.