In Memoriam: Dr. John M. Purvis

The Medical Center extends its sympathy to the family of a former faculty member in appreciation for his contributions to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Dr. John M. Purvis

Dr. John Marvin Purvis, a former associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and longtime pediatric orthopaedist at Children’s of Mississippi, died Aug. 28 at his home surrounded by family. He was 78.

Purvis spent four decades caring for Mississippi children, building a career in pediatric orthopaedics that took him from private practice to academic medicine and helped extend specialized care to families throughout the state.

Born Aug. 20, 1948, Purvis grew up in Jackson, attending Duling, Bailey and Murrah schools before graduating from Rhodes College and the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1974.

Following medical school, Purvis completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta. He then pursued specialized training in pediatric orthopaedics through a fellowship at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas.

In 1980, Purvis returned to his hometown to begin a career that would be devoted to the orthopaedic needs of children.

He practiced at Central Orthopaedic Clinic for 15 years before founding Pediatric Orthopaedic Specialists of Mississippi, where he spent another 15 years caring for children. He later brought that experience to UMMC, joining the faculty as an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation and practicing at the children’s hospital until his retirement in 2020.

Over the course of his career, Purvis cared for generations of children with a wide range of orthopaedic needs. He also placed particular importance on how physicians communicate with their youngest patients and their families, recognizing that caring for a child required an approach tailored not only to a diagnosis but also to the child’s age and understanding.

As medical co-director of pediatric ambulatory services at UMMC, he helped develop Children’s of Mississippi specialty clinics in communities outside Jackson, allowing families to connect with pediatric subspecialists closer to home. Purvis was among the physicians who traveled to those clinics to see patients and particularly valued the relationships he developed through the outreach program.

For Purvis, bringing Children’s expertise into communities across Mississippi was also about building relationships with the physicians already caring for children there.

“We share the same goals: Healthy children and healthy families,” he said in 2017.

Purvis also helped educate future physicians during his time at UMMC. His commitment to teaching earned him recognition as the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation’s Orthopaedic Educator of the Year for 2011-2012.

Beyond UMMC, Purvis remained active in his profession throughout his career. He held leadership positions and developed lasting professional relationships through organizations including the Mississippi Orthopaedic Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and Twentieth Century Orthopaedic Association.

“Dr. Purvis dedicated his career to improving the lives of Mississippi children and families,” said Dr. Mary Taylor, Suzan B. Thames Chair and CEO of Children’s of Mississippi. “His expertise as a pediatric orthopaedist was matched by his commitment to bringing specialized care closer to children throughout our state. The patients he cared for, the physicians he helped educate and the relationships he built over decades of service are an enduring part of his legacy at Children’s of Mississippi.”

Away from medicine, Purvis was an active member of Northminster Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, committee chair and, when needed, carpenter. He enjoyed traveling, bicycling, woodworking and golf, made more meaningful by the friends and family who shared them with him.

Purvis and his wife, Gayla Ballard Purvis, were married for 53 years. They raised three children, John Alexander, Spencer Ballard and Anna Catherine, and had five grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Northminster Baptist Church, 3955 Ridgewood Road in Jackson. A worship service and inurnment at the church will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Northminster Baptist Church Memorial Fund or to the John and Gayla Purvis Cancer Campaign Fund at UMMC.