Purpura, Joseph Anthony

Joseph Anthony Purpura, age 84, of Arizona, formerly of Wood Dale, IL. In 1965, Joseph Purpura, partnering with his brother, Ross Purpura Sr., decided to enter the dairy business. Their initial home delivery service, the original Uber Eats, began with a single route. Well before sun rise, the J&R Dairy milk truck would bring the now nostalgic cold milk bottles, butter and eggs to homes throughout Chicagoland. As their reputation of providing quality products at a fair price as well as a commitment to friendly service grew, so did their dairy company. By 1980, J&R Dairy had not only grown into a recognizable force in the dairy industry, but a company that remained “family owned and family focused” At this point, the brothers decided to venture into the ice cream business. Again, starting with a meager single full service delivery route, the brothers and their dedicated staff worked long hard hours. Little did they imagine that by the time they retired, together, in the year 2000, their business would grow to over 50 routes and over 150 employees between J&R Dairy and Joe & Ross Ice Cream, or their dairy products and frozen desserts would be enjoyed at schools, universities, professional sports stadiums, park districts, lakefront and tourist attractions as well as being available at every major convenience store, fuel center and grocery chain. Oddly enough, there is a great possibility you have bought a product that was once on the shelves of his business. When Joseph and Ross Purpura retired, they left their companies in the hands of their three sons, who had grown up and worked at both facilities, Joseph “Tony”, Gary, and cousin Ross Junior (Ross Purpura). The legacy continues today, and as the companies continue to expand, they are still committed to the ideals set forth by their fathers...integrity, service and dedication. Through all of the success of his business, there was one commodity that was most important to Joseph, and that is family. He and his beloved wife, Jeanette, ironically began their beautiful love story while he was servicing his customers. Who knew a quick whistle would bring him 61 years of a love, gambling, and a whole lot of laughter? Even with a winning record against the house, the true success of Joseph is the wonderful legacy he has left behind. His braveness walks through his eldest, Joseph “Tony” (Margie). His authenticity and generosity is revealed through his son, Gary(Andrea). His optimism breathes through his daughter, Sharon (Mike). His inspiration is spoken through his daughter, Kathy (Don). And his passion is conveyed through his youngest, Janet (Sean). Joseph was not only an incredible father, he loved his 10 grandchildren even harder (Joey (Staci), Nicki, Eryk, Steven, Kyle (Madison), Dominique (Josh), Anthony, Michael, Michelle, Anna), and his great-grandchild, Dallas. Joseph also has two surviving brothers, Mike and Ross (Barb). Contemplative and always a student of life, Joseph enjoyed the journeys. In his free time, you would find him cheering on the hometown Cubbies, fishing the great lakes of Canada, hitting Royal Flushes at the local casino, or soaking up the beautiful sun with a Lucky Strike non-filtered hanging from his teeth. No matter the activity, there was always a smile on his face. More importantly, his contagious outlook on life managed to put a smile on the faces he surrounded. In the celebration of his wonderful life, a Memorial Gathering will be held on Thursday, March 25th from 3:00-8:00 PM at Bucaro Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 485 W Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, March 26th at 10:30 AM at Bucaro Funeral Home. Interment will be private. Please visit www. bucarofuneralhome.com or call 630-242-4700 for more information.

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