John Lloyd Pursell of Grand Junction died Feb. 17, 2012, at his home. He was 94.
Mr. Pursell was born Oct. 3, 1917, in Strasburg. He spent his childhood in Strasburg and Shawnee, Okla. He left school early to help support his family during the Great Depression, working as a meat cutter, clerk and delivery man in the family grocery his father established in Denver.
He enlisted in the Army four days after Pearl Harbor. His unit was the 826th tractor battalion deployed to the Pacific Theatre. His unit fought from New Guinea to the invasion of the Philippines.
Mr. Pursell marred Mary Mills on Sept. 16, 1946, in Denver. They celebrated over 63 years of marriage. She died Jan. 8, 2010.
Although he did not graduate from high school he attended three years of college on the GI Bill and received certification as a professional engineer. He worked for the Colorado Department of Highways for 30 years as a soils, materials and geology engineer. He enjoyed gardening, camping, fishing, his dogs and visiting family.
Mr. Pursell is survived by a son, Kim of Hotchkiss; two daughters, Ann Pursell and Nancy Rademacher, both of Grand Junction; a sister, Marylou Klamm of Morrison; and three grandchildren, John of Portland, Ore., Nikki Rademacher of California, and Amber Rade-
macher of Grand Junction.
A memorial service will be held Monday, March 5, at 1 p.m. at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary in Grand Junction.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Grand Valley.
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