Prev Next
Willis Hugh Purdy
Agency patch
Sergeant

Willis Hugh Purdy

Colorado State Patrol — Lakewood, CO
Accident
United States flag Colorado flag
End of Watch July 31, 1976
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
The Vigil Panel 257 · Column 2 · Line 17 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Department 29

Incident

Sergeant Hugh Purdy and Officer Michael Conley, of the Estes Park Police Department, drowned while assisting victims of the Big Thompson Flood.

Sergeant Purdy had been stopping traffic from entering a flooded area when when his vehicle was swept away by flood waters near Drake, Colorado.

Sergeant Purdy had served with the Colorado State Patrol for 26 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtn8nvvneytmbbd7pb6cg
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Willis. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

26 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Purdy gave the Colorado State Patrol 26 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Colorado. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Purdy.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Colorado State Patrol
Type Highway Patrol
Location Lakewood, CO
Platform Identity chp.co.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 31, 1976
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Willis is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
  4. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1976, 59 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 76th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Willis had served 26 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Colorado State Patrol has 30 officers remembered here, Willis among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Willis Hugh Purdy

Colorado State Patrol · End of Watch July 31, 1976

Where the Name Is Cut

↑