Doris Mae Purcelley Storms
Doris Mae Purcelley Storms (“Doris”), age 95, passed away May 2, 2019. She was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on August 27, 1923, to George Dewey Purcelley, Sr. and Ollie Poole Purcelley.
She attended school in Hot Springs and for one year at Blue Mountain College (a Southern Baptist school) in Northern Mississippi. She married Raymond Edwin Storms of San Antonio, Texas, on June 27, 1943, and was happily married for 50 years until Raymond’s death on Nov. 30, 1993.
Shortly after their marriage in Hope, Arkansas, and honeymoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the couple moved to Old Ocean, Texas, where their first son, Richard Ray Storms, was born on June 17, 1944, in Bay City, Texas.
Raymond E. Storms was a petroleum engineer having graduated from Texas A&M University in 1937 and was employed at a refinery in Old Ocean, Texas, producing aviation fuel in support of the United States war effort in World War II. After the Japanese surrendered in 1945 and World War II was over, Doris and Raymond moved to Maracaibo, Venezuela, where Raymond was employed by Gulf Oil Company, as a petroleum engineer.
While living in Venezuela, Raymond and Doris were members of Christ Church of Maracaibo, Doris was President of the Ladies Guild, Women’s Study Club of Maracaibo, Oil Wives Luncheon Club, Toastmistress Club International, a Cub Scout mother for five years, and Sunday School teacher.
Doris and Raymond’s second son, Randolph Lee Storms, was born on July 31, 1949, in San Antonio, Texas, and Doris and Raymond with their two sons moved to Ruston, Louisiana, in Januaryof 1960 when Raymond began teaching at Louisiana Tech University as an Assistant Professor of Petroleum Engineering. Doris has lived in Ruston since that date.
Doris was a member of First Baptist Church of Ruston, was past President of The Spring and Twig Garden Club, Chairman of the Peaches and Posies Flower Show, member of the Tech Faculty Wives Club, the Order of the Eastern Star, and American Business Women’s Association. Doris worked at The Marbury Companies in Ruston, Rodrigues Farr Insurance Company in Monroe, and Pabco Manufacturing in Simsboro until her retirement in 1993. Doris was a master at knitting and used to teach knitting.
Her hobbies were bridge, copper work, doll making, ceramics, quilting and of course, knitting. She also enjoyed cooking, and her favorite recipes were associated with bread, buns, and cinnamon rolls.
Doris is survived by her two sons, Randolph Lee Storms, Richard Ray Storms and wife, Linda Graham Storms, grandsons, Richard R. Storms, Jr. (“Rick”) and wife, Laura, of Monterey, California, Tyler Graham Storms (“Ty”) and wife, Michal-Jean Gray Storms, granddaughter, Holly Elizabeth Storms James and husband, Maxwell Heath James, and four great granddaughters, Mary Tyler Storms, Anna Jane Storms, Ava Elizabeth James, and Leah Caroline James, all of Ruston, Louisiana; sister-in-law, Theodora Anderson Purcelley, and her two sons, Greg Purcelley and Andy Purcelley, of Colorado.
Doris was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, George Dewey Purcelley, Jr., and by her husband of 50 years, Raymond Edwin Storms. There will be a memorial service in Ruston, Louisiana, at a later date.
