Dan C. Purdy
August 19, 2020
Dan C. Purdy passed away on August 19, 2020. He was 74 years old. Dan was a Life Member of the ASQDE.
Mr. Purdy was born in 1946. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of B.C. and trained as a forensic scientist at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Vancouver Laboratory from 1969 to 1971.
In 1979, he moved to Ottawa and worked in the RCMP's Central Forensic Laboratory as a document examiner.
In 1985, he was appointed head of the agency's Document Operational Support unit and a year later head of the Ottawa Document Section.
In 1989, Mr. Purdy was promoted to Chief Scientist Document Services, a position he held for 10 years. In 1999, he joined Forensic Document Examination Services, Inc. (FDES) after working for 30 years as a scientist in the RCMP forensic laboratories.
Mr. Purdy was a Life Member and the 28th President of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners. He had been a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners since 1991. He was appointed a Director of the Society during its 1994 meeting. He served two terms as Secretary and one term as Vice President before being elected President in 2004.
Dan Purdy was certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) in 1980. He served on its Board of Directors for seven years and as ABFDE President from 1993 to 1995. He also held a diploma in Forensic Document Examination issued by the Forensic Science Society in 1985.
Active in many other professional organizations, Mr. Purdy joined the Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS) in 1971 and served terms as Document Section Chairperson, Director, and Society Treasurer. He was elected a Fellow of the CSFS at its 1997 meeting in Regina. He was also a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science and a Fellow of the Forensic Science Society.
In 2012, Dan Purdy received the Albert S. Osborn Award of Excellence in recognition of his distinguished career as a forensic document examiner and the many contributions he made to the ASQDE and the profession of forensic document examination. He retired from the practice of forensic document examination in 2018.
ASO Award Article
In 1979, he moved to Ottawa and worked in the RCMP's Central Forensic Laboratory as a document examiner.
In 1985, he was appointed head of the agency's Document Operational Support unit and a year later head of the Ottawa Document Section.
In 1989, Mr. Purdy was promoted to Chief Scientist Document Services, a position he held for 10 years. In 1999, he joined Forensic Document Examination Services, Inc. (FDES) after working for 30 years as a scientist in the RCMP forensic laboratories.
Mr. Purdy was a Life Member and the 28th President of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners. He had been a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners since 1991. He was appointed a Director of the Society during its 1994 meeting. He served two terms as Secretary and one term as Vice President before being elected President in 2004.
Dan Purdy was certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) in 1980. He served on its Board of Directors for seven years and as ABFDE President from 1993 to 1995. He also held a diploma in Forensic Document Examination issued by the Forensic Science Society in 1985.
Active in many other professional organizations, Mr. Purdy joined the Canadian Society of Forensic Science (CSFS) in 1971 and served terms as Document Section Chairperson, Director, and Society Treasurer. He was elected a Fellow of the CSFS at its 1997 meeting in Regina. He was also a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science and a Fellow of the Forensic Science Society.
In 2012, Dan Purdy received the Albert S. Osborn Award of Excellence in recognition of his distinguished career as a forensic document examiner and the many contributions he made to the ASQDE and the profession of forensic document examination. He retired from the practice of forensic document examination in 2018.
ASO Award Article