Philip Purves was born April 3, 1924 in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, to Stewart and Grace Purves. The family moved to Beaverlodge in 1930. During the war, Philip served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1942 to 1945 as an Asdic operator on the corvette HMCS Sherbrooke on convoy duty in the North Atlantic.
After the war, Philip returned to Beaverlodge area where in Elmworth he met and married Florence Reimer (July 9, 1948). They moved to Peace River in 1960 where Philip manages a Government store until retirement. He also worked for a few years at the Marshall Wells store.
Philip passed away March 3, 1990, while on vacation in Arizona.
Source: Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune obituary