John Samuel Puryear

John Samuel “Sammy” Puryear of South Boston, VA, passed away on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at the age of 58. Born in Halifax County on December 20, 1963, he was the son of the late Dean Monroe Puryear and the late Rebecca Clark Puryear. Sammy was married to Kathreen “Kat” Balcom Puryear for 35 loving years, who survives.

He was a 1982 graduate of Halifax County High School and a 1986 graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University, where he played baseball. Sammy owned Puryear’s Tire and Alignment. He was an avid golfer at Green’s Folly and cherished each round spent with his lifelong brothers. Sammy was a member of Cherry Hill United Methodist Church.

In addition to his wife, Sammy is survived by daughters, Sydney P. Saunders (Travis) and Madison Puryear; granddaughter, Evelyn Beck Saunders; siblings, Grayson Puryear (Gail) and Patsy Harris; mother-in-law, Jean Balcom; sisters-in-law, Daean Menke (Jay) and Jean-Marlene Dixon (Scott); many nieces and nephews and many other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his father-in-law, Reverend David A. Balcom.