Bob Pursley passed away in his home in Hillsboro, Oregon on Friday, May 23, 2014 surrounded by a family that loved him dearly. He was born May 25, 1927 in Salem, Oregon to John & Iva Pursley. He spent most of his childhood in Portland, Oregon in the Collins View neighborhood and also attended schools there. He also spent many summers during his youth with members of his ancestral Native American tribe at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River, where The Dalles Dam is now located. At age 16 he found work in the Portland Shipyards, and then later joined the US Navy where he received formal training in San Diego, California. He was then assigned duty on the amphibious attack transport USS Clermont from 1944-1946 during the Pacific Campaign during WWII. He was also in the Naval Reserve from 1946-1952. In 1946 he hired on with Western Electric, a Bell System company located in Portland. He worked there for 42 years with the bulk of those repairing and testing telephone relay systems. After his retirement from Bell System in 1989 he worked a number of different jobs to stay active. During the 1970's and 1980's Bob was also active in a number of citizen groups in Hillsboro focusing on improvements and local government accountability. Notably, Bob was active in helping create the first indoor Aquatic Center and was also a member of the Friends of the Library which were instrumental in constructing a new library. In 1949, he met the love of his Life, Eva May Hodson. They were married on December 30, 1949 in Newberg, Oregon. They moved to Hillsboro, their permanent 'hometown' in 1953 where they raised their three children. Bob and his family were active members of the Hillsboro Friends Church for many decades and Bob upheld his moral and religious convictions continuously. Bob was also known for his engaging style and easily made friends wherever he went through his positive demeanor. Bob also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and clamming. His wife Eva was also his sole hunting companion for many years. Bob is survived by Eva, his wife of 64 years. He is also survived by his daughter Gloria Long of Anaheim, California, sons Gary Pursley of Hillsboro, Oregon, and Vern Pursley of Hampton, Connecticut, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grand children.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. Arrangements under the direction of Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Portland, OR.
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