Maureen Purcell Of Hampton Bays Dies July 27

Maureen Purcell, née Foran, of Hampton Bays and formerly of Westport, Connecticut, beloved wife of Dale Purcell for 41 years, died on July 27 from complications after neuro-vascular surgery. She was 63.

Ms. Purcell was born in Michigan, the eighth child of the late Lois and Joseph Foran. She grew up in Westport, where she made her best lifelong friends. She graduated from Staples High School in 1975. After marrying her high school boyfriend, Dale, they lived and worked in Connecticut, and had their son Dale Jr. In 1979, they moved north to Maine to run The Lucerne Inn with the family. There, Ms. Purcell acquired her love of baking, often staying up until 3 or 4 in the morning to learn and perfect a recipe.

They moved to Long Island, where Ms. Purcell and her husband worked at Marder’s Landscaping. She was the landscape production labor, vehicle and equipment manager. She worked there for 30 years. Ms. Purcell always gave 200 percent to anything she did, according to her family and was a dedicated, hardworking person and always a good friend.

People always gravitated to Ms. Purcell, according to her family. She was beautiful, smart and funny. People just liked to be around her. When she arrived at a gathering people always seemed to be happier and everyone hated to see her leave. Her self-deprecating sense of humor and her infamous malaprops made one laugh and like her even more, her family said.

Her baking was her passion. No holiday or even a visit was complete without Ms. Purcell’s cinnamon buns, her family said, adding that there was a secret in the recipe that she never told anyone.

She is survived by her husband, Dale; her son Dale Purcell Jr., his wife Sandy and their daughter Elowyn; 10 brothers and sisters, Joseph Foran Jr., Kevin Foran, Christopher Foran, Kathleen Marder, Colin Foran, Brigid DiRenzo, Sean Foran, Brian Foran, Megan Foran and Michael Foran and their spouses, children and grandchildren; her husband’s family, Daniel Purcell, Richard Purcell, Katherine Zeoli, Francine George, Thomas Purcell and Lawrence Purcell, their spouses, their children and grandchildren; many cousins, nieces, nephews and good friends.

There will be a memorial to remember Ms. Purcell at a date to be determined.