Charles Archibald ''Archie'' Purcell

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Laurinburg Presbyterian Church officiated by the Revs. Leighton McKeithen and Nick Mager. Burial will follow in Hillside Cemetery.

The son of the late Charles Augustus Purcell and Anna Meta Buchanan Purcell of Laurinburg, NC, Mr. Purcell was born October 30, 1921 in Winston-Salem. He was reared in Laurinburg and lived most of his life until recently in Linden, NC.

A consulting engineer by profession, Mr. Purcell attended Lees McRae College and graduated from Georgia Tech University in 1948. He was a past president of the Consulting Engineers Council of North Carolina, a member of the American Arbitration Association, and a teacher for a number of years at Fayetteville Technical Institute. He was a member of MacPherson Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, where he served as both a deacon and an elder.

During World War II, Mr. Purcell was a ball turret gunner in the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 493rd Division. He was stationed in Debach, England and flew 36 combat missions. In recent years, he was an active member of PSAC, a civilian support organization for personnel at Pope Air Force Base. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle whose character was an inspiration to all who knew him.

Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Joyce Meidam Purcell of the home; three daughters, Julie and husband, Sam Strickland of Leland, NC; Jinny and husband, Tim Apple of Kernersville, NC, and Jane and husband, Dave Sargent of Wilkesboro; four grandsons, Evan Strickland, Charlie Apple, Jake Apple, and David Sargent; three brothers, State Sen. Bill Purcell of Laurinburg, Gus Purcell of Wagram, NC, and Ed Purcell of Clinton, NC; one sister, Elizabeth Purcell Newton of Duluth, GA; and many nieces and nephews.

The family requests that any memorials be made to Hospice of Wilkes County, 1907 West Park Ave, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

Visitation will be 6 a