Robert William Purchase

Robert William Purchase, 65, Richards, MO passed from this life on March 24, 2026, at home in Richards. Rob was born August 20th, 1960, in Sinoia, Rhodesia, to Robert Hector Purchase and Sybil Constance Mary (Rogers).

Rob grew up on a farm in Karoi, Rhodesia. He attended Dudley Hall Junior School and went on to graduate from Prince Edward High School, which was considered the premier school in Rhodesia at that time.

Shortly after his 18th birthday, he was called to serve his country in the Rhodesian Bush War. He had a choice to join the police force or serve in the military; he chose to serve in the military and joined the Rhodesian SAS (Special Air Service). He always said, “If you’re going to do something, you always do the best you can and go for the highest level possible.” He didn’t want to just join the army; he wanted to go for the highest level of military training possible, which was the SAS. He was a boy forced to become a man overnight! The war in Rhodesia ended in 1980, and the country became known as Zimbabwe.

After the war ended, Rob returned to the farm and worked alongside his Dad. He took over the full operation of the farm after the passing of both of his parents in 1984.

In October 1986, Rob was united in marriage to Jennifer Haigh. They were blessed with four sons: Robert, Neil, Brian, and Andrew. They resided on the farm until 1994, when the decision was made to sell the farm and transition into the trucking business. What foresight Rob had, which was all God’s doing, because a few years later, the farms were being taken away, without payment, by the Mugabe government regime. In 2000, due to the political unrest in Zimbabwe, Rob made the necessary decision, to work as a load master for MK Airlines—he was always fascinated with aviation. Jenny continued the daily operation of the trucking business.

When the situation in Zimbabwe became dire and farmers' lives were at risk, Rob volunteered his trucks to help people move off their farms at no cost. This was a typical gesture of Rob’s – always out to lend a helping hand.

In November of 2002, Rob made a major decision to move his family to the United States, where he opened and operated his own trucking business until the time of his passing. He loved trucking in America, and it gave him great joy and peace each time he got behind that wheel.  Rob truly loved the U.S.A. and was so proud when the day finally came when he could call himself an American after being naturalized in October 2018.

Rob was well known for his sense of humor and his big smile – he was aptly nicknamed “Smiler” at a young age and, even now in death, is known as “Smiler.” He was a God-fearing man who worked hard, loved deeply and was proud of his family.  He remained positive and faithful to God throughout his long battle with cancer and continued to be of encouragement to others. His faith and love for Jesus were immense; he walked the narrow road. In the last 10 years, his knowledge of the gospel of Jesus grew, and he studied the Bible daily. He was an ordained minister and went on to marry three young couples and baptized four people (including his youngest grandson, Eli).

Rob is survived by his wife Jenny, of the home; their four sons, Robert and wife Ruth of Nevada, MO, Neil, of Richards, MO, Brian of Richards, MO and fiancé Michaela of De Pere, WI and Andrew of Portland, OR; three grandchildren, Christopher, Claire and Eli; one sister, Ann (Rory) Duffin of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; one brother Michael (Catherine) of Haywards Heath, England; mother-in-law, Mary-Anne of Walker, MO; brother-in-law, Darrell (Laurie) of Ontario, Canada; brother-in-law, Gareth (Lisa) of Perth, Australia; he is also survived by 8 nephews.  Rob was preceded in death by his parents.

A graveside service will be at 3:00 pm, Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Green Lawn Cemetery, Schell City, MO.

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