Joseph R. Purcell
03/10/1932 - 03/25/2016

Joseph R. Purcell, 84, of Chatham, New Jersey passed away on Friday, March 25, 2016 at Overlook Hospital, Summit, NJ.

Mr. Purcell was born on March 10, 1932 in Montclair, New Jersey. He was the son of Richard J. and Mabel H. Purcell.

He was a 1953 graduate of Seton Hall University (A.B. 1953) and Fordham Law School (L.L.B. 1956) where he was an Editor of the Law Review. He proudly served his country in the United States Army, Judge Advocate General Corps from 1956-1959. Mr. Purcell also held advanced degrees from Harvard Business School (MBA, 1961) and New York University Graduate Law School (LLM – Taxation, 1962.)

During the period of 1969 – 1984, he became Founder and Head of the Corporate Tax Department of the firm Crummy, Del Deo, Dolan and Purcell (now Gibbons, P.C.) in Newark, New Jersey where he was also Managing Partner for ten years. Thereafter, he founded and headed the Corporate and Tax Department of Courter, Kobert, Laufer, Purcell & Cohen, P.C., in Morristown, New Jersey where he practiced for ten years until joining his brother Gene Purcell’s firm, Purcell, Ries, Shannon, Mulcahy & O’Neill in 1994 until his retirement in 2013.

Mr. Purcell lived most of his life in Short Hills, N. J. with his family and beloved wife Jane of 57 years. He was a long time member of Baltusrol Golf Club, where he and Jane cherished their time with their dearest friends at the Friday night “dinner club”. He enjoyed playing golf and was a self-taught pianist.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane (Crummy) Purcell. He was the devoted father of daughters, Megan Word, Alison “Sally” Lewis and son, Greg Purcell. He was the cherished grandfather of Kevin and Bryan Word and Morgan and Mackenzie Lewis. He is also survived by his brother, Gene Purcell and his sister, Claire Ham.

Friends and relatives may pay their respects on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Chatham, NJ, 07928. A Roman Catholic Funeral Mass will be at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave., Short Hills, NJ 07078. Cremation will be private. In Joseph’s memory, donations may be directed to Little Sisters of the Poor www.littlesistersofthepoor.org or Seton Hall Preparatory School, 120 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ 07052.


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