Birth date: Nov 7, 1939 Death date: May 26, 2023
Hoyt Hughes Purvis, 83, of Fayetteville, AR, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2023. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend and a devoted professor, mentor, consumer of news and politics, com Read Obituary
I first met Hoyt in the summer of 1968 working in the Democratic primary for Senator Fulbright. Although both of us were from Jonesboro, I was only 14 and he was 29. A few years later I worked with him in Senator Fulbright’s while attending Georgetown University. Hoyt possessed in great abundance three qualities that define a truly special person: INTELLIGENCE, WIT, COMPASSION. And I, like many others, have been enriched by spending time with him.
Mr. Purvis was one of my favorite professors. He was one of the handful of teachers in my life who really left a lasting impact and I'll never forget that smile.
Hoyt would return from the Majority Leader's office to our staff pool in Russell 201. In a perfect flat monotone he'd say, "Red alert, red alert," which was the highest crisis level. "Briefing book due in one hour." There would be a mad shuffle of papers, as if we knew what we were doing, and the typing would begin. In a half hour I'd walk over to Hoyt's desk to discuss my draft, and as we talked I noticed he shifted uneasily in his seat. Finally I looked down, and there, tucked deeply into the well of the desk, were Pamela and Camille. Hoyt was a master at managing many things at once. Greg Lipscomb, 6.4.23 [email protected]
Hoyt and Mary have been our good friends for years. I have a hole in my heart because we cannot sit and listen to Hoyt's wonderful stories. The world of baseball is diminished because he is now on a much greater MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM with the Almighty as his mentor and coach. Carolyn and Paul Jones
How we members of Great Decisions will miss Hoyt! Over many years he helped us understand foreign policy, while sharing such wonderful stories.
