Stephen Purpora

Stephen A. Purpora died Saturday, Feb. 2. He was 54.

Mr. Purpora was born on Sept. 20, 1964, in Cook County, Ill., to William and Susan Miller Purpora.

Mr. Purpora grew up in Whitefish Bay and graduated from Whitefish Bay High School in 1983. He attended Westminster College in Missouri on a baseball scholarship and went on to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he met his wife, Michelle Koller.

They were married on April 29, 1989, at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church in Brown Deer.

They lived briefly in Brown Deer and then moved to Cedarburg in 1990. They lived there until 2012, when they moved to Grafton.

Mr. Purpora worked with his father at the family’s petroleum businesses, Protanic Inc. and Purpora Engineering.

After his father’s death, he became president of the companies in 2002.

His passions included baseball, attending hundreds of Brewers game, playing for the Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes and in college, coaching his daughter’s softball team and junior varsity baseball at Cedarburg High School.

Mr. Purpora was known for his positive outlook, his generosity to local charities and his mentorship of young people.

Mr. Purpora is survived by his wife; daughters Ashley Purpora of Milwaukee, Sydney Purpora of Fitchburg and Samantha Purpora Scofield of Cedarburg;  son-in-law Zane Scofield; brother Ross Purpora; parents-in-law Beverly and Mark Koller of Fort Myers, Fla.; and brothers-in-law Craig Koller of Tampa, Fla., and Jeffrey Koller of Salt Lake City.

A celebration of Mr. Purpora’s life will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, at Alliance Bible Church in Mequon. The Rev. Roger Erickson will preside.

Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday at the church.

Donations to 222 Ministries, The Project 82 Foundation, or the Milwaukee Rescue Mission are requested.