Ross C. Purse
- Parksville
![Click on image for full-size version](/web/20061229020359im_/http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/1993/1993_RCPurse_sm.jpg) Ross
Purse has given unselfish service to others in spite of difficult
circumstances. As a prisoner of war for four years during World
War II, his character and sense of duty made him stand out among
his fellows, along with his energy, hard work and reliability.
When he returned
to Canada after the war, with a visual impairment, he went to work
for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. In his years
with the CNIB, he provided national leadership in the development
and implementation of programs for the welfare of the blind and
for the prevention of blindness.
His work on
the Unmet Needs of Blind Canadians study in 1976 created a different
understanding of the CNIB's structure, mandate and service programs.
Internationally,
Ross Purse is a life member and past secretary of the American Association
of Workers for the Blind, he has served on the executive of the
World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, as chairman of its North
America-Oceania Region.
He served on
the Executive Boards of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind,
the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and was
founding chairman of the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Blindness
Prevention, to mention a few.
Since his retirement,
Ross Purse has continued as an active member of the Sir Arthur Pearson
Association of War Blinded and Rotary International.
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