Heaven's gain is Earth's loss. On September 11, 2025, after a two-year battle with metastatic melanoma, Kieran "Joe" Purcell, 86, passed away in the presence of his daughter Amanda, son-in-law John, and grandson Nicholas.

Kieran was born in Manhattan, New York, on October 11, 1938, the son of John and Honora (Burns) Purcell, and grew up in The Bronx. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1956, joined the Air Force on November 11, 1956, and was honorably discharged on November 12, 1960, when he transferred to the Air Force Reserve. During that time, he pursued higher education at Michigan College of Mining & Technology.

From 1965 through 1977, Kieran served as a radar technician at the Antigo Air Force Station in Antigo, Wisconsin. When that base was decommissioned, he transferred to the Baudette Air Force Station in Baudette, Minnesota. After that base was decommissioned, he began working for the National Weather Service, where he monitored their radar tower in Neenah, Wisconsin. With the closure of that site, he started the final phase of his career, installing Doppler radar systems at airports throughout the Midwest.

While living in Antigo, Kieran worked part-time as a bartender at Riverview Country Club, a job he thoroughly enjoyed and was the ideal fit for a first-generation Irish-American. He seemed to know every joke ever written, and charmed his patrons with his distinctive "Kennedy" good looks and New York accent. When he moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1978, he began tending bar at Dick & Joan's Supper Club, and worked there long after he retired from NWS in 2000. In his retirement, he enjoyed golfing, reading, traveling, working out at the Heart of the Valley YMCA, spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and doing crossword and Sudoku puzzles, in pen, no less.

Kieran is survived by his first wife, Jacqueline Purcell, the mother of his three children; his oldest son, Gordon Purcell; his daughter, Amanda (John) Lauer; his stepson, William (Jayne) Bonnell; his older brother, John (Catherine) Purcell; his younger brother, Francis (Ellen) Purcell; his sister, Eileen McIlvenna; his godchildren John Thomas (Tom) Purcell and Tara Cantu, his former sister-in-law Kay Surato, his sisters-in-law Kathleen Parsons; Susan Meharg; Phyllis (Harvey) Nelson; Patricia Doucette; Virginia Meharg; former brother-in-law Raymond (JoAnn) Bigelow; his grandchildren Stephanie (David) Dokko, Nicholas (Emily) Lauer, Samantha (Ryan) Seifert, Elizabeth (Richard) Oviatt, Jack Purcell; his step-grandsons Jon (Jasmine) Bonnell and Alex (Brooke) Bonnell; his great-grandchildren Joseph, Katherine, and Benjamin Dokko; Declan, Evelyn, and Margaret Lauer; Lena and Henry Seifert; his step-great-grandson Arthur Bonnell; numerous nephews and nieces; his wonderful neighbors on South Theodore Street in Appleton; members of the Fox Valley Catholic Bible Study, where he was a member for more than 40 years; his fellow patrons at The Wishing Well and Richmond Street Pub; the MotoMart crew, who saw him almost every day when he got his morning coffee; his dear friends Lee Gilbert and Jeff Roblee; and countless people whose lives he touched throughout his nearly 87 years.

He was predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Mary Purcell; his son Rodney Purcell; his daughter-in-law Debra Purcell; his stepdaughter Terri Bonnell; his former sisters-in-law Brenda Neuhauser and Honey Bigelow; his former brother-in-law Lawrence Bigelow; his brothers-in-law Michael Meharg, Glen Parsons, and Gary Doucette; step-nephews Todd Nelson and Jeffrey Parsons; step-niece Debra Parsons; and numerous extended family members, neighbors, friends, and golf buddies.

Frank Sinatra's song, I Did It My Way, exemplified Kieran's life. He was active in sports back in the day, from baseball to fast-pitch softball, basketball, bowling, coaching his sons in flag football, and golf, which he enjoyed until his 85th birthday. He never got that hole-in-one, but did shoot par on one course. His travels with his wife, Mary, included trips to see his family and friends and gambling trips from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, and casinos throughout Wisconsin.

He was a community volunteer, including performing lector duties at St. John Catholic Church in Antigo, and years of service to The Community Clothes Closet in Menasha. One of the best days of his life was taking part in the Old Glory Honor Flight on September 11, 2024. Kieran was a proud 61-year member of the Wisconsin Elks, was passionate about his Catholic faith, the United States of America, his Irish heritage, the Green Bay Packers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Broadway musicals, particularly Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera, praying the Rosary, Christmas and "Santie Claus," the sanctity of life, and his family, particularly his great-grandchildren. His wish late in life was to live long enough so that they would remember him, which we believe he did.

Visitation for Kieran will be held on October 4, 2025, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 222 E. Fremont St., Appleton, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. The funeral Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund will be set up in Kieran's name.

As the Irish say, "You have gone no further from us than to God, and God is very near." Godspeed, Dad, Grandpa, and Elder Grandpa. We look forward to joining you in Heaven someday.