Gregg P. Durham
Gregg P. Durham
Puyallup, Wash.
Gregg P. Durham – dedicated husband, father of two, and friend of many – passed away Oct. 27, 2022, at the age of 69.
Born to Richard and Vivian Durham in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gregg spent his youth in the Hawkeye state. He graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids before attending Utah State University where he studied History. He got his start in Commercial Insurance in Salt Lake City, later moving to Los Angeles to work for CNA Insurance. A few years after arriving in L.A., he met the love of his life, Jeri Purcell, whom he married in 1987 and spent the next 35 years building a family with. They welcomed their sons Tom in 1990, and Alan in 1992.
In 1994, after being away from the Midwest for nearly 20 years, Gregg returned with his family, moving to the Fox Cities of Wisconsin to work for SECURA Insurance. There they lived for a decade before moving to Puyallup, Wash., in 2004, taking up position as Director of Commercial Underwriting for the Mutual of Enumclaw.
Through the years, Gregg enjoyed taking road trips across the country with his family and friends. Though he never moved back to Iowa, he remained a diehard Hawkeye fan for life, frequently returning to attend games with childhood friends and family at Kinnick Stadium.
He also inherited a love for the St. Louis Cardinals from both his father and his grandfather, Harry Durham. And because, as they say, baseball is a game passed from father to son, both of his own sons became fourth-generation fans themselves.
A prolific reader, with a library spanning more than two thousand titles, including an extensive collection of books written by Winston Churchill. Gregg was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of history, sports, and geology. His quick-wit and humor made him friends wherever he went, often creating decades-spanning friendships, time zones away.
After retiring from Mutual of Enumclaw, Gregg pursued a life of reading, visiting friends around the country, and taking trips with his wife, including a trip to India for his son Tom’s wedding.
Gregg was preceded in death by his father, Richard, as well as his brother, Jeff, and niece, Rachel Scherrman. He is survived by his wife Jeri, their children Tom and wife Zarana in Washington, D.C., and Alan and fiancée Shanai in Bellevue, Wash., his mother Vivian and his sister Polly in Cedar Rapids; and seven nieces and nephews.
Gregg loved every dog and cat that he met. In his memory, donations can be made in his name to support the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County.
A date for a Memorial Service is yet to be determined.