Gail Purdy Brophy, 77, an outstanding area athlete and successful business woman, passed away at Saratoga Hospital on Sunday, Feb. 23.
Born on July 31, 1942, in Glens Falls, she was the daughter of the late George and Elizabeth Purdy, and sister to the late Anne Bliss. She was married to James “Bud” Brophy for 28 years, until he passed away at age 79 in 1998.
She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Brophy Magnus and Kristen (Brandan) Greczkowski. Five grandchildren, Sydney and Zayda Greczkowski, Evan, Kayla and Emily Magnus. Three nieces, Linda (Adrian) Stone, Laura (Dave) Borst, and Debra Apple.
Brophy was the owner of Purdy’s Discount Wine and Liquor. She left college and put her sports on hold, as she took the reins of the business. She ran the family business until she was hospitalized tin February.
She was known as an area golf legend. She played in the U.S. Women’s Open in 1960 and 1961, making the cut both times. Back then, only 40 players made the cut for the final 36 holes. She was the New York State Women’s Amateur champion in 1961, the youngest at the time to ever win that championship.
She won the state women’s amateur again in 1963. She left the competitive scene of golf at this time to run the family business and raise her two children. In 2006, she roared back on the golf scene. She won the New York State Super Senior State Championship in 2007 and 2008 and was runner up in 2009, 2012 and 2013.
Brophy was a member of the Glens Falls Country Club when she was young. She has been a longtime member of Saratoga National Golf Club and Ballston Spa Country Club since 2015. She loved speedskating. She won more than 100 titles in the northeast when she was young, including winning several Eastern States championships, New England championships, Eastern Seaboard championships, New York State championships and the Lake George International Silver Skates.
She won seven National or North American divisional championships. At age 16, she competed in the first U.S. Olympic Trials for speed skating women in 1959, missing the Olympic team by one spot. Less than 25 women from 10 nations competed in speedskating at these Olympic Games in Squaw Valley.
She competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 1964 Olympic Games, just missing the team once again. One of her greatest moments was winning the 1965 North American Indoor Short Track Championships. She was running the family business, taking care of her father, with limited time devoted to skating, and she beat Olympian Janice Smith, and another future Olympian. During the same season, she was crowned champion at the Diamond Trophy Indoor in Lake Placid over Olympic medalist Jeanne Ashworth.
She was a great supporter to women’s and junior golf and had been a member of Saratoga Winter Club speedskating since she was a teenager. She is honored at the Weibel Ave Ice Rink as a contributor to the sport of speed skating and has been a fixture at the ice rink for a long time, known to many as Momma Broph or Gramma Gail.
Memorial donations may be made to help support the Saratoga Winter Club. Checks payable to Saratoga Winter Club or SWC, with “Gail Memorial” in memo line. Mail to: SWC, 69 King Rd. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Or go to saratogawinterclub.com
Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com.www.burkefuneralhome.com http://www.lastingmemories.com/gail-purdy-brophy.
