He met the love of his life, Bob Bayne in 1977. They were married in 2013.
Al spent his formative years in the East Los Angeles and Montebello areas. He was an incredible and creative artist. At the age of 13, he sold his first painting to one of his art instructors. At the age of 15, he entered an International National Geographic contest that challenged participants to create a picture using the keys of a manual typewriter as the only tool they were allowed to use. Al placed 3rd for his creation of a typed image of the actor John Derek. He attended Woodbury College in Los Angeles and majored “in the Arts”. He was employed at W.J. Sloan’s in Beverly Hills as an interior designer working with famous clients such as Debbie Reynolds and William Holden. While working at Sloan’s, he sold some of his paintings to clients. He traveled and participated in popular art shows across the United States. He and his former wife opened the Purvis Gallery in Monterey Park. He also co owned a gallery with his son Arthur in Rancho Cucamonga.
Albert Purvis, “a self-professed rule breaker”. As stated by a 1991 newspaper article in the Rancho Cucamonga: “Al is only too willing to try a client’s offbeat idea; he told them, “I’m as conservative as my client wants me to be.” He did bend the rules when he felt that there would be no harm, or no foul done, and felt that he could make a memory.
Al served in the United States Navy, and was stationed in San Diego.
He is survived by his husband of 41 years Bob. His sons Arthur, Robert, and Leonard, daughter-in-law Liz, grand daughter Logan; daughter Lisa, son-in-law Paul, grand daughters Alex, Catalina, and Hailey.
In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation in Al’s name to Henry’s Hope Foundation: https://henryshopefoundation.com/what-you-can-do/donate/
