It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of founding PBATS member Dave Pursley, a legend in the athletic training profession and an overall great man.
About the passing of Dave Pursley, Tony Garofalo said, “Many of our current and former members had the honor of working with Dave, and to honor his legacy, we have received heartfelt messages from friends and former colleagues sharing how much Dave meant to their lives and careers. He was a colleague, friend, and mentor to many of us. He was a guiding force in the formative years of PBATS and we are all indebted to him for what he did for all of us. We lost a true legend in the profession, and he will be missed but never forgotten.”
Here are some great memories from many who had the chance to work with Mr. Pursley.
Dave was such a great guy. And he was one of our first officers of PBATS. – Mickey Cobb
Great memories. 1980. Jacksonville Wolfson Park. Atlanta Braves vs Southern League All-Stars ( I was SL Trainer) and met Dave. He was a friend and wished me well. I never forgot that. – Paul McGannon
Sorry to hear of Dave’s passing, He was always an enjoyment to be around. His contributions to PBATS will always be appreciated. My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. –Larry Mayol
This is truly sad news. Personally, Dave had such a huge impact on my career. He was one of the best in our profession and will be missed by all who were blessed to know him. –Gene Lane
What a great man. It was a real honor to have worked with Dave and Charlie Moss in the early days of PBATS. He hosted the best cocktail hour at the Winter Meetings. R.I.P. my friend. –Dick Dent
Dave was a true professional in many ways, it was a pleasure to have known him personally and professionally. My condolences to the entire Pursley family. RIP David. –Herm Schneider
Obviously, we are all thinking and praying for his family, Bubba and the rest of the Braves family. It was said in Santo’s funeral that with all his medical issues, God let him play in more extra innings than most, and I would think Dave would feel the same way. –Mark O’Neal
We lost a great Athletic Trainer and a wonderful PBATS member in the Senator. Swizzle loved the PBATS suite and we all loved having him sit in his big chair and serve him his favorite adult beverage and talk athletic training and pick his brain. Such a great man, rest in peace, my friend . –Gene Gieselmann
For more information, please read this article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.