Bob Purkhiser

A 1961 Indiana All-Star and four-sport letterman, he was a member of Bluffton’s 21-6 1960 semi-state finalist team as a junior and 18-7 regional finalists his senior season…  a three-sport athlete at Purdue University, he was the 6^th  Boilermaker to surpass 1,000 career points, graduating 5^th  in program history with 1,060 points in three seasons after averaging 20.0 points per game as a senior and earning all-Big Ten honors…  after serving in the United States Army, where he was an accomplished player in Army leagues, he became a standout player and coach in French professional leagues gaining national recognition and status as a basketball icon…  was a multiple-time All-Star and league MVP and referenced in the New York Times in 1972 as “the best player in France.”…  was coaching in France when he was killed in an automobile accident in Le Mans in 1982 at the age of 39.