Obituary of Robert Purinton

Robert James Purinton, Jr. was born February 3, 1955. He finished his marathon against cancer August 2, 2009 at the age of 54. A life-long Tulsan, Bob graduated from Hale High School in 1973 and went on to graduate first in his class with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Tulsa. He served for several years on the advisory board for the College of Engineering and was an avid TU basketball and football fan. His career as a chemical engineer included a national IR100 award for innovative technical achievement and several national and international patents for pipeline cleaning processes he developed for Dowell. Bob and his family lived in Paris, France for three years while he worked at the Schlumberger international headquarters and traveled extensively. Most recently, he worked for Tulsa Heaters, Inc. designing fire heaters for refineries, particularly in Canada. Bob was known for his strong faith, his intellectual abilities and his passion for music and running. He could regularly be spotted jogging through downtown during his lunch hour. His love of music led to many years with Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. His position as their marketing director made him a visible activist for great choral music in the city. A lifelong member of Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Bob sang in the choir every Sunday, played handbells, enjoyed lead roles in numerous musical productions and was a leader in the Maranatha Sunday School Class. Bob was devoted to his family, which includes his wife, Janet; children, Beth Hall and her husband, Scott, Jennifer Bolz and her husband, Ryan, Jason Brown and his wife, Julee; granddaughters, Ella and Kennedy; parents, Neva Jean and Robert J. Purinton, Sr. Also surviving him are his sisters, Suzanne Bruce and her husband, Ed and Dr. Marjean Purinton. Bob will be missed by a host of good friends. His faith was profound and his life was a wonderful example of integrity, hope and determination. A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM Friday, August 7, 2009 at Boston Avenue Methodist Church. The family asks that donations be made in Bob's name to the Boston Avenue Methodist Church Music Fund, 1301 S. Boston, Tulsa, OK 74119, or Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, P.O. Box 14024, Tulsa, OK 74159.