Wendell Purnell Honored In Berlin

Wendell Purnell Honored In Berlin
Pictured, from left, are Berlin Councilman Elroy Brittingham, Mayor Gee Williams, Pat Purnell and Councilman Thom Gulyas. Photo by Charlene Sharpe

BERLIN — The Town of Berlin’s elected officials and employees gathered June 1 for a tree planting in honor of Wendell Purnell.

Dozens gathered at Henry Park Friday to watch Mayor Gee Williams place a plaque in front of a dogwood tree recently planted in memory of Purnell, who worked for the town for 43 years. Purnell, who most recently served as the town’s superintendent of public works, passed away May 14.

“I’m so pleased that our family of Berlin decided to do this as a special tribute to the memory of Wendell Purnell,” Williams said.

He recalled meeting Purnell when he was 15, as they both worked at line cooks at his father’s tavern. He said that while Purnell was “careful with his words” even back then, they’d had a lot of fun together. Williams said that in the ensuing years Purnell had gone on to be a devoted employee of the town.

“We’re very thankful,” he said. “We’ll never forget him. To remember him with this tree is very fitting. The lifetime of that tree will be beyond all of us.”