1917
Norman
2014
Norman B. Purucker
June 24, 1917 — November 12, 2014
Tributes
Norman B. Purucker
Services will be held Tuesday, 11:00 at Davis-Becker Funeral Home with calling hours from 10:00 a.m. -10:45 am. For Norman B. Purucker, 97 of Boardman. He passed away Wednesday morning at St. Elizabeth Medical Center-Boardman.
Mr. Purucker was born June 24, 1917 in Youngstown, a son of Fred W. and Rose McDowell Caldwell Purucker, moving to Boardman in 1919, a lifelong area resident. He was a retired real estate broker and income tax consultant.
Norman graduated from Boardman High School in 1935 and the University of Michigan in 1939. He was the greatest all-around athlete in Boardman history. He was all Tri-County in football in 1933 and 34, all Tri-County in basketball in 1934-35 and held the Tri-County 220 yard dash record and pole vault record. He held the Boardman High School record in pole vault and competed in the Ohio High School state track championship in pole vault in Columbus in 1935. At the University of Michigan he played half back in football in 1936, 37 and 38 receiving All American rating in 1938. He was a sprinter on the University of Michigan's track team in 1938 and 1939 that won the Big Ten championship in both indoor and outdoor track. He was only a teenager who played left field for Boardman's outstanding Smith Dairy Softball team in 1933 and 1934 and was their leading hitter. He was a member of the YMCA Golf League for over 50 years, President two years, member of four league championship teams and low gross league winner four years. He was a member of two Penn-Ohio Golf League Championship teams, member of the board of directors of the Ohio Public Links Golf Association for 20 years. He was responsible for bringing the Ohio Public Links Golf Tournament to Mill Creek Park Golf Course in 1950. He was Mill Creek Golf Course Club champion, YDIGA class A champion. He organized and directed the Boardman News Invitational golf tournament for 12 years. He was inducted into the curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in 1978, first inductee in the Boardman High School Hall of Fame in 1980.
He was a member of Bridge of Hope Church. He serviced on the Boardman Board of Education for 8 years and was president for a year. He was a football, basketball and track official for 25 years, President of the Basketball Association for a year. A life member of the University of Michigan "M" club, and former member of the Boardman Boosters and Curbstone Coaches.
Norman was a US Navy Veteran in WWII, with a tour of duty in the Pacific for 23 months. He also was a member of the US Portsmouth naval base basketball team for two seasons.
Besides his wife the former Melba Tucker whom he married on Nov. 22, 1952, he leaves three sons, Timothy, Terry and Jeffrey all in Florida.
Preceding him in death besides his parents are sisters, Martha Flynn and Margaret Owen and two brothers Fred and Richard.
The family would like to thank Windsor House Parkside for the great care provided.
Tributes for Norman may take the form of contributions to the Boardman Boosters Stadium Project, P.O. Box 3174, Boardman, OH 44512.
Services will be held Tuesday 11:00 a.m. at Davis-Becker Funeral Home in Boardman with calling hours from 10:00 a.m. -10:45 am.
To send condolences please visit www.beckerobits.com
Norman B. Purucker
Services will be held Tuesday, 11:00 at Davis-Becker Funeral Home with calling hours from 10:00 a.m. -10:45 am. For Norman B. Purucker, 97 of Boardman. He passed away Wednesday morning at St. Elizabeth Medical Center-Boardman.
Mr. Purucker was born June 24, 1917 in Youngstown, a son of Fred W. and Rose McDowell Caldwell Purucker, moving to Boardman in 1919, a lifelong area resident. He was a retired real estate broker and income tax consultant.
Norman graduated from Boardman High School in 1935 and the University of Michigan in 1939. He was the greatest all-around athlete in Boardman history. He was all Tri-County in football in 1933 and 34, all Tri-County in basketball in 1934-35 and held the Tri-County 220 yard dash record and pole vault record. He held the Boardman High School record in pole vault and competed in the Ohio High School state track championship in pole vault in Columbus in 1935. At the University of Michigan he played half back in football in 1936, 37 and 38 receiving All American rating in 1938. He was a sprinter on the University of Michigan's track team in 1938 and 1939 that won the Big Ten championship in both indoor and outdoor track. He was only a teenager who played left field for Boardman's outstanding Smith Dairy Softball team in 1933 and 1934 and was their leading hitter. He was a member of the YMCA Golf League for over 50 years, President two years, member of four league championship teams and low gross league winner four years. He was a member of two Penn-Ohio Golf League Championship teams, member of the board of directors of the Ohio Public Links Golf Association for 20 years. He was responsible for bringing the Ohio Public Links Golf Tournament to Mill Creek Park Golf Course in 1950. He was Mill Creek Golf Course Club champion, YDIGA class A champion. He organized and directed the Boardman News Invitational golf tournament for 12 years. He was inducted into the curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in 1978, first inductee in the Boardman High School Hall of Fame in 1980.
He was a member of Bridge of Hope Church. He serviced on the Boardman Board of Education for 8 years and was president for a year. He was a football, basketball and track official for 25 years, President of the Basketball Association for a year. A life member of the University of Michigan "M" club, and former member of the Boardman Boosters and Curbstone Coaches.
Norman was a US Navy Veteran in WWII, with a tour of duty in the Pacific for 23 months. He also was a member of the US Portsmouth naval base basketball team for two seasons.
Besides his wife the former Melba Tucker whom he married on Nov. 22, 1952, he leaves three sons, Timothy, Terry and Jeffrey all in Florida.
Preceding him in death besides his parents are sisters, Martha Flynn and Margaret Owen and two brothers Fred and Richard.
The family would like to thank Windsor House Parkside for the great care provided.
Tributes for Norman may take the form of contributions to the Boardman Boosters Stadium Project, P.O. Box 3174, Boardman, OH 44512.
Services will be held Tuesday 11:00 a.m. at Davis-Becker Funeral Home in Boardman with calling hours from 10:00 a.m. -10:45 am.
To send condolences please visit www.beckerobits.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Norman B. Purucker, please visit our flower store.