Purpura, Former Fall Foliage Parade Driver, Turning 100
 iBerkshires file
Ernest Purpura, then 98, in his Corvette at the Fall Foliage Parade in 2007. |
You might have seen him in the annual Fall Foliage Parade in North Adams. Purpura's driven one of his Corvettes in the parade for many years. For more than two decades, he's displayed the banner for Mayor John Barrett III.
He was born in Quincy but lived in North Adams for 65 years before moving to Williamstown. Mr. Purpura studied drafting and engineering at Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston and, in later years, took additional courses at Hudson Community College in Troy, N.Y.
He headed the drafting department of the former Sprague Electric Co. and managed the former Northern Berkshire Stamp Co., a subsidiary of Sprague. He left the company in 1958 to work for General Electric Co., retiring in 1964. He married in 1934 and has a daughter, son and granddaughter. He was a member of many local organizations and is a Corvette enthusiast, owning 1954, 1959 and 1986 models. He took great pride in driving them in the parade until last year. He was a member of both the National and Berkshire County Corvette Clubs.
The Purpura family is planning a birthday celebration for him on his birthday at 2 at Williamstown Commons.
