Obituary: SSAFA Caithness branch Chair Frances Purves

16 December 2024

Frances Purves, who was Chair of Caithness branch until its amalgamation with the Sutherland branch this year, has died at her home in Wick, Caithness. From information given by family and colleagues, Branch chair of the amalgamated SSAFA Caithness and Sutherland branch William Sutherland writes about Frances, her life, and her dedication to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

Frances was one of those people whose natural instinct is to help others, and she gave unstintingly of her time and effort to put that instinct into action.

Born in London in 1947, Frances moved to Caithness as a young wife and mother. Left to raise her family on her own, she nonetheless managed to combine her duties as a single mother with work as a newspaper and radio reporter. 

As if all that were not enough, she threw herself into a range of charitable works: providing transport for hospital appointments; fundraising for the RNLI for over 20 years; being secretary of the local branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland; and setting up a hospital radio station in Wick – and SSAFA, of course. 

And she did all that against a background of physical fragility.

Twenty-seven years ago, after a quadruple heart bypass, she was given around seven years to live. She outlived that prediction by two decades, which she put to good use – including finding her life partner Brian!

SSAFA got the very best from Frances. She was a powerhouse in the small Caithness branch for well over 20 years, its chair for much of that time, and was still “in harness” when she died. 

Had she lived, she would have been due her 25-year badge next year. 

The tales of her energy and compassion in support of SSAFA clients are legion. Frances Purves will be sorely missed by her SSAFA teammates and by the wider community of Caithness. 

Her SSAFA colleagues offer their sincere condolences to Frances’ children Duncan and Mandy, and to Brian.