Arthur Purnhagen

Art was born Arthur H. Purhagen on March 07, 1947 in Rockville Centre, New York.  At the age of 2, he was diagnosed with polio, but he did not let this get him down.  He started racing go carts at the young age of 7 until about 15 when he changed to racing cars.  He had his own go cart shop where he sold and did repair work.  His father owned his own wrecker service.  The shops around town that did business with his father, took Art under their wing to teach him auto body repair.  Art continued to drive a wrecker for his Dad while learning this new trade.  Art became very talented as an auto body man.  In 1970, he moved to North Carolina and worked for Richard Petty doing autobody work.  From time to time, he would also work on his pit crew.

In 1971, Art moved back to New York and met his future wife.  Linda was a waitress in a restaurant where he would come in every day and order the same thing, steak and cheese on a hard roll.  Their first date was March 12, 1971, Linda’s birthday.  They wanted to run away and get married that very night, but waited 3 months instead.  They married on June 12, 1971.  Together, they had five beautiful, loving children, Stacy, Art, Gracie, Ted, and Tiffany.  In 1981, Art moved his family to Houston to further his career.  Here he worked for Avis repairing vehicles in the body shop.  Later, he opened his own auto body shop, Kuykendahl Paint and Body.  After about 5 years, he closed the business to get into selling race car parts.  They were going to move to North Carolina, but due to the tragic loss of their daughters, Gracie and Tiffany, they stayed in Houston.

In 2003, Art semi-retired after his first open-heart surgery.  With his new-found freedom, he began to travel and discovered the fun of gambling.  Two weeks after having a defibrillator put in, he went on his last trip to Vegas.  His doctor ok’d this trip since they were being picked up by a limousine and he would have a scooter.  The doctor told him he wanted him to walk a little, so Art visited a couple of stores.  After all of that walking, he felt tired and decided to go back downstairs.  Linda was talking to a shop owner and would meet him in a few minutes.  He went to the fast-moving escalator, put his cane down on the first step, which threw him off balance, he turned around and went tumbling, head first, from the top step all the way down to the bottom.  When Linda got to him, she thought he just fallen at the last step.  He told her, “I knew I was going to fall, so I might as well go for the ride”.  After he got bandaged up, he went back to gambling.  Again, nothing got him down.

Art was very proud of all of his kids and grandkids.  His kids have grown up to be loving, responsible adults.  His grandkids are all smart, very talented, and full of life.  Art will be missed as his family finds their way into their new life.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur H. Purnhagen, Sr., Helen Duffy and Owen Duffy, his daughters Grace Marie Purhagen and Tiffany Elena Purnhagen, and extended family Patrick H. Shirling.  He is survived by his wife, Linda, daughter Stacy Lyn Jones, sons Arthur H. Purnhagen III, Theodore Matthew Purnhagen, daughter-in-law Jenny Purnhagen, son-in-law Timothy Jones, grandchildren Jacob Runion, Elena Runion, Taylor Runion, Lindsey Purnhagen, Seth Purnhagen, Tiffany Katusak, great grandson Joe Garza, grandson-in-law Jeremy Katusak, brother Michael Duffy, sister-in-law Joyce Duffy, nephews Michael Duffy and Aidan Duffy, niece Elizabeth Duffy, extended family Deby Shirling, Rodney Runion, Keri Runion Margraves, Kevin Shirling, Nicole Shirling, Connie Koehler, John Garza, and Nadia Choates.

God bless you Art.  May you rest in peace.