South Georgia Technical College

Teresa Purvis Teasley, DNP, RN, and Sheryl Purvis Rush presented the South Georgia Technical College Foundation with a donation for scholarships to be used by students in the Heavy Equipment/Diesel Technology programs recently in memory of their father, Carroll Edgar Purvis, Jr., who graduated from the Heavy Equipment Diesel program at South Georgia Tech in the 1950’s.

“South Georgia Tech meant a lot to our father,” said Sheryl Rush. “And Teresa and I decided that now was the time to present the college with a gift in memory of him and also help other young people who are enrolled in the Heavy Equipment and Diesel Technology programs.”

Rush, who recently retired as an elementary school teacher, and Dr. Teasley, who is a Professor and Interim Dean of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences in the nursing program at Georgia Southwestern State University, both see the value of an education. They also witnessed first-hand, how valuable a technical education can be to a family.
Carroll “Tump” Edgar Purvis, Jr., passed away in 2016. He and his wife of 55-years, Nell Welch Purvis, had two daughters, Sheryl Purvis Rush and Teresa Purvis Teasley, and four grandchildren. His desire to gain an education impacted not only his life, but the lives of his children and grandchildren.

Purvis was a salesman and a member of the National Guard. He also joined a local Ham Radio Club that helped people from other countries get in touch with their families in the United States. He collected and showed vintage Mustangs and loved visiting with people and telling stories and jokes.

He valued his time at South Georgia Tech and encouraged his daughters and other family members to continue their education. Both daughters ended up as teachers, one serving students as they begin their educational careers and the other helping them gain the last bit of knowledge before entering their professional careers.

“We are honored to be able to give back in memory and in honor of our father,” said Dr. Teresa Purvis Teasley. “We hope that some young person will benefit from these scholarships and have the same type of impact on their family that our dad had on ours.”