Mary Lorraine Purcell of Boerne, Texas, passed away on July 2, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She was 83 years old.
Born on November 9, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, to Daniel and Margaret Campbell, Mary was baptized at Englewood Presbyterian Church on November 22, 1942.
Her parents were born and raised in a close-knit community of Scottish immigrants on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, and they immigrated to the United States as young adults. Though Mary was an only child, she grew up with a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins across Canada. Her family came from East Lake Ainslie on Cape Breton Island, where Mary spent her summers. Those relationships and connections to that community became a vital part of her identity, and she shared stories of her family and heritage until the very end of her life.
Her family later moved from Chicago to Detroit, Michigan, where her father, Dan, worked as a railroad engineer for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Mary graduated from Redford High School in 1960 and went on to attend Eastern Michigan University, where she earned a degree in education in 1964. Shortly after graduation, she married her college sweetheart, Jack Purcell. As Jack began active duty as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, the newlyweds were assigned to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington.
Mary taught elementary school at Fort Lewis and continued teaching as the family moved across the country—to New Jersey, Colorado, and beyond. Later in her professional life, she served as Director of Development for Planned Giving and Endowment at Houston Baptist University.
Mary was a person of extraordinary relational warmth and presence, building deep and lasting friendships wherever she went. She regularly welcomed guests into her home, and for many years she and Jack hosted weekly small groups for Bible study, fellowship, and meals. She mentored countless young women over the years and maintained regular correspondence with friends whom she hadn't seen in decades. Her deep and abiding faith informed every aspect of her life.
As a mother and grandmother, she had a rare gift for making each person feel deeply seen, heard, and valued. She adored her two sons and took genuine joy in every chapter of their lives, listening with interest, wisdom, and quiet encouragement rather than judgment or unsolicited advice. She extended that same love to her daughters-in-law and grandchildren, delighting in who they were and never missing an opportunity to remind them how important they were to her.
Mary is survived by her son, Mark Purcell, and his wife, Emily; her son, Steven Purcell, and his wife, Amy; her granddaughter Ainsley, who brought her so much joy; and her granddaughter Jade, her husband, Evan, and their three children, Easton, Scarlett, and Pierce.
A memorial service will be held at St. Helena’s Episcopal Church in Boerne, Texas, on July 30, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. A private interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
The family would like to thank Anton's Assisted Living for their extraordinary care of Mary in the last months of her life.
Instead of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Mary’s memory to the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center, where she volunteered for many years.
Comment
Comments