Obituary of William Larry Purcell

William "Larry" Purcell passed away peacefully on July 21, 2022. He was born August 7, 1932 to Bill and Edna Purcell in Levant, Kansas. He moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1940 and graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1950. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1951. After completing his service, he moved back to Colorado Springs. During the ensuing years he owned his own body shop, worked for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as an electrical systems draftsman in the building of the US Air Force Academy chapel. He went on to hold management positions at Clifton Precision, Litton Data Systems and Command Sciences before ultimately landing at AMI Industries as a Quality Control manager. But if you ask his co-workers, he was most often seen drinking Pepsi and eating cherry pies from the vending machine. He was with them up until his retirement in 1999. Larry was better known for his expertise in customizing cars. He was very active in the local street rod community and was always sought out for his knowledge of chopping, channeling, and numerous other difficult auto body modifications. Several of his custom cars were featured in newspapers and magazines worldwide.His expertise and knowledge extended well beyond cars. He had numerous other hobbies throughout his life, including RC airplanes, machine work, leather work, and playing poker to name a few. You just never knew what he would come up with next. He will be missed by his wife, Ardith; three daughters, Jolene, Marlene (Dennis) and Charlene (Bob); and one son, Nick; eight grandkids; and ten great-grandkids. Memorial Service, 10:00AM, Monday, August 1, 2022, The Springs Funeral Services-North, 6575 Oakwood Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80923. Reception to follow.Inurnment, Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903. Events Memorial Service Monday, August 1, 2022 10:00AM The Springs Funeral Services - North 6575 Oakwood Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Phone: 719-207-8611