John Pursell Jr.

Friday, June 30, 2017

John William Pursell Jr., 74, passed away June 27, 2017, at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2017, at the First Southern Baptist Church in Mountain Home.

A graveside inurnment with military honors will follow at Mountain View Cemetery. Cremation is under the care of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

John W. "Bill" Pursell Jr. was born Nov. 16, 1942, to John and Virginia Pursell in Denver, Colo. As an Air Force family, they were stationed from Colorado to Fairbanks, Alaska, then to Clark Field in the Philippines and finally to Mountain Home Air Force Base in 1957.

Bill loved sports and excelled in wrestling all through his high school years, making it to state tournaments two years in a row.

After high school, Bill spent two years in the U.S. Navy and served with his younger brother, David, on the aircraft carrier USS Hancock. After being discharged, Bill went to work at the Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point, in San Francisco.

In 1967, Bill married Jill Tiatano in Reno, Nev. They had two children, Erica L. and John W. III. They later divorced.

In 1968, Bill was severely injured in an auto accident. When he was released from the hospital, he had to re-learn everything, including who his family was and what and where he worked. Through all these difficulties, he persisted and continued working until retiring.

When the shipyard in San Francisco closed, Bill was relocated to the Bremerton Shipyard in Washington, where he worked until he retired.

Bill was always ready to help whenever he could; he never met a stranger and was trusting to a fault. Bill never stopped loving wrestling and as long as he was able to he would attend the Mountain Home Tigers wrestling matches in town. Bill was a member of the 1st Southern Baptist Church and the Mountain Home Elks Lodge #2276 for 20 years.

Bill was preceded in death by both parents: His father, John W. Pursell Sr., his mother Virginia Shoulders, and his step father, James Shoulders. He leaves behind his daughter, Erica L. Pursell Foster, and his son, John W. Pursell III; brothers Robert (Rose) Pursell of Mountain Home, David (Mary Lou) Pursell of Mountain Home and Steve Pursell of Corvallis, Ore.; along with seven grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the 1st Southern Baptist Church, 1400 North 3rd East St., Mountain Home, ID 83647.