Geoffrey Purdy Obituary

Geoffrey Purdy
07/24/2025
Geoffrey Hale Purdy, 84, died early Thursday, July 24, in Danbury, Connecticut, after a brief illness. Born August 6, 1940, in New York City, he was the son of Ken W. Purdy, the noted author and journalist and Jeanne Hale, a well-known literary agent.
Purdy's early years were spent in New York City and Wilton, Connecticut. At the age of 10 he contracted a severe case of polio and required the use of a wheelchair for the rest of his life. What might have limited others was just one of the many obstacles he overcame in a life of extraordinary determination and achievement.
After his recovery he attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA, graduating in 1959, then matriculating to Harvard University.
Purdy then spent more than four decades as a programmer and engineer at IBM, contributing to pioneering innovations in the development of the internet - notably how cable TV systems could be used to deliver high speed internet to businesses and homes. Throughout his career, he mentored several generations of influential programmers who went on to make breakthroughs in internet technology, satellite communications, and cybersecurity. His technical expertise extended beyond his professional work-as a self-taught gunsmith he spent his entire adult life collecting, studying and repairing antique weaponry. He was also an accomplished inventor who held many patents, a mechanic and engineer.
In 1965, Purdy married Susan Gold, who would become a Julia Child award-winning author of 33 children's and baking books, including "Pie in the Sky." The couple settled in Roxbury, Connecticut, where Purdy and his wife built the home that served as their primary residence for the remainder of his life. He divided his time between Roxbury and Craftsbury, Vermont, where they had a log cabin on a lake.
A voracious reader with deep knowledge of history, Purdy maintained particular interests in the Civil War and World War II throughout his life. He inherited from his father a deep love of vehicles of all sorts, he always worked on his own cars and converted his endless fleet of Volvos to be driven with "hand controls" which he manufactured and installed himself.
Purdy was predeceased by his father, mother, and stepmother Lucille Purdy. He is survived by his wife Susan Gold Purdy, daughter Cassandra Purdy, sister Tabitha Purdy Song, numerous nephews and nieces, and friends from all walks of life whom he encountered throughout his varied career and interests.
In lieu of flowers, please send money to World Central Kitchen www.worldcentralkitchen.org