Sarah "Sally" Robins & Alan MacGregor Purdy

A celebration of life for Alan & Sarah will be held Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Pacific View Legacy Chapel, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

Sarah "Sally" Robins Purdy, 1940-2023

Laguna Niguel, CA – A daughter of the Atlantic who happily lived for three decades within view of the Pacific Ocean, Sarah (Sally) Robins Purdy, 83, passed away after a short illness on December 20, 2023, in Mission Viejo, CA. Her husband of 59 years, Alan, died less than three weeks after her death on January 6, 2024.

She was born on August 25, 1940, in New York, NY, and raised in Queens, NY.

She is survived by her sister Lola Occhiogrosso, MD, of Brooklyn, NY and brother Jim Robins, PhD, of Vienna, Austria; sons William of Glendale, CA and John (Katie Delmez) of Nashville, TN; daughter Tammi Metcalf (Will) of Wildomar, CA; and grandchildren Jack and Sarah Caroline Purdy, and Liam and Eleane Metcalf. Sally was preceded in death by her father, Arthur Benjamin Robins, MD; her mother, Patricia Scott Robins; and her sister, Catherine Robins, PhD.

Sally was a woman of great intellect and curiosity. She graduated from Duke University in 1962, where she met husband-to-be Alan and later from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in the early 1980s.

Marrying Alan on June 13, 1964, Sarah was a beloved wife, sister, mother, and grandmother, and she devoted her life to her family, supporting Alan in a corporate career that required moves to several locations, including Minneapolis, MN; Oklahoma City, OK; San Marino, CA; and Laguna Beach, CA. She dutifully supported her children’s many activities, including competitive swimming, music lessons, and academic achievement. In her later years, she was an adoring grandmother who spoiled her grandchildren in just the right way.

Partly because of her sister Catherine’s work in Africa for many years, Sally supported World Vision charity. She was physically active for much of her life, regularly competing in 5-10k running races, and later in bicycle clubs. She especially savored Southern California’s sunny skies, mild temperatures and ocean vistas as she pursued her outdoor activities.

Sally and Alan enjoyed travel and visited Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Israel, Kenya, Cuba, Alaska, Hawaii, and many other destinations in Europe. Sally was a woman of Christian faith, and had a tender heart toward animals, especially cats, and was a committed volunteer at several animal shelters.

A celebration of life in honor of Sally and Alan Purdy will take place on February 17th at 2:00 p.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, CA. The event will be a reflection of Sally's vibrant spirit and the impact she had on those around her.

Sally Purdy will be fondly remembered by her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched.

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Alan MacGregor Purdy, 1940-2024

Laguna Niguel, CA -- Alan MacGregor Purdy lived a life of leadership in every space he entered, from the classrooms of fabled academic institutions to the confines of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to the boardrooms of major American corporations.

His life drew to a close peacefully on Jan. 6, 2024, in Baldwin Park, Calif. A beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather, he died less than three weeks after his wife of 59 years, Sarah “Sally” Robins Purdy, passed away after a short illness in Mission Viejo, Calif., on Dec. 20, 2023. Alan and Sally were married June 13, 1964.

He is survived by his brothers Rob (Anne) of Franklin, TN, and Frank of Yakima, WA; sons William of Glendale, CA and John (Katie Delmez) of Nashville, TN; daughter Tammi Metcalf (Will) of Wildomar, CA; and grandchildren Jack and Caroline Purdy, and Liam and Eleane Metcalf.

He was born on April 23, 1940, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and raised in Nashville. In addition to his wife, Alan was preceded in death by his father, Rob Roy MacGregor Purdy, who was vice chancellor of Vanderbilt University for many years, and his mother, Frances Edwards Purdy.

Alan was a man of great intellect and professional accomplishment. His leadership emerged in high school at Nashville’s Montgomery Bell Academy (class of 1958), where he was a top student and an undersized but effective lineman on the school’s football team.

He had his pick of highly regarded colleges and graduated from Duke University in 1962 – he never wavered in his allegiance to Duke basketball. He emerged from Duke’s Navy ROTC program with a commission to the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga. He achieved the rank of lieutenant while working in Navy communications.

He graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. His 40-year career in corporate finance eventually brought him and Sally to Southern California in the late 1980s. His talent for both management and numbers elevated him to the position of chief financial officer at several major retail corporations including B. Dalton Bookseller, Robinson’s May of Florida, Miller’s Outpost, Builder’s Emporium, and RemedyTemp, of San Juan Capistrano, CA.

Alan was physically active for much of his life, pursuing boating, tennis, bicycling, and competitive running. Sally and Alan also enjoyed travel, and in retirement they visited Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Israel, Kenya, Cuba, Alaska, Hawaii, and countries throughout Europe.

A celebration of life in honor of Sally and Alan will take place on February 17th at 2:00 p.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, CA. The event will be a reflection of Alan's kind spirit and the positive impact he had on those around him.

Alan Purdy will be fondly remembered by his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.