Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Philip Purifoy

Judge Philip B. Purifoy, 64, of Texarkana, died May 7, 2003, at a local hospital.

Judge Purifoy was born March 5, 1939, in Texarkana. He graduated from Arkansas High School in 1957, received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Arkansas, and Law Degree from the University of Mississippi. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Mississippi State Bar, Arkansas Bar Association, Southwest Arkansas Bar Association, Texarkana Bar Association and Southwest Arkansas Mental Health Board. He served as Chairman of the Arkansas State Department of Youth Services Board and was past president of the Four States Fair Association. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas.

After practicing law in Arkansas and Mississippi, her served as Juvenile Referee for Miller County and Municipal Judge for Texarkana, Arkansas. He was elected Circuit Court Judge for the 8th Judicial District in 1982, where he served with distinction until his retirement in December of last year.

Judge Purifoy was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Mildred Purifoy; his brother, Dr. Leon Purifoy, and his father and mother-in-law, Joe Lee and Maurine Anderson.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years Jon Purifoy; his son, Phil Purifoy and his wife, Stephanie of Little Rock; his daughter, LeAnne Wright and her husband, Tim of Texarkana, and his grandchildren, Philip Purifoy III, William Purifoy, and Anderson Wright; his brother-in-law, Brady Anderson and his wife Betty of Austin, Texas; his sister-in-law, Shelba Jean Purifoy of Texarkana; his nephew, Chris Purifoy and nieces Peggy Purifoy Flink, Pam Purifoy Kososki, Elizabeth Purifoy Alexander, Helen Anderson Brauner, and Heath Anderson.

Interment services were 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Old Rondo Cemetery in Texarkana. A memorial service followed at 11:30 at the Cabe Center, First United Methodist Church in Texarkana with the Rev. Rodney Steele officiating.

The family requests that contributions be made to the Judge Purifoy Scholarship Fund through Teen Court of Texarkana, P.O. Box 1967, Texarkana, Texas 75504, or the First United Methodist Church, 6th and Laurel, Texarkana, Arkansas 71854.

Services under the direction of East Funeral Home  downtown, 602 Olive Street, Texarkana, Texas.