April 2024

John Purnell’s “hybrid of work and retirement” includes projects with Maryland’s Department of Labor and BWI and other airports, while things are getting busy on the theater side, including playing Mr. Fezziwig in “A Christmas Carol” at The Colonial Players in Annapolis and playing Santa Claus in Thunderous Productions “A Christmas Crisis” in February in Ellicott City. John also is doing design work for Annapolis Summer Garden Theater’s 2024 season and a production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” at Colonial Players. “On top of all that I have been elected as President of Colonial Players for a two-year term starting in June.

Retirement might be busier than working,” John wrote, adding that his wife, Claire, “is designing books for the Smithsonian, The Naval Institute Press, and other smaller clients. She is very active on several committees at our condo. We just went to Costa Rica in February for a week with seven other friends. Unfortunately, my good friend and bridge partner, Chebb Wagner, couldn’t be there as he passed away last October. I am still in a shock/grief state.”

John’s daughter Mary and her husband, Paul, are running an internet-based tutoring company from their home in Telluride. They are also very involved in leadership of Episcopal mission work with a mountain village in Guatemala. Daughter Lizzie is in Brooklyn working for Houlihan Lokey in Manhattan doing sustainability financing.

reported by John Wharton '76