Our speaker, Richard Purinton was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and has resided in Door County all of his life with the exception of four years in the U.S. Navy. He is a graduate of Sturgeon Bay High School (1965) and UW-Madison School of Journalism. A resident of Washington Island since 1974, he and his wife Mary Jo (Richter) live on Main Road. They have three children and four grandsons. Richard has worked for Washington Island Ferry Line, Inc. for 39 years, first as deckhand, then captain, general manager and company president. In addition to writing, his interests include gardening, metal sculpture, photography, boating, motorcycling, and woodcarving. . A resident of Washington Island since 1974, he and his wife Mary Jo (Richter) live on Main Road. They have three children and four grandsons. With a degree in journalism, it is not a surprise that one of Dick's passions is writing. He has written and published several books. After writing so many business letters throughout his career he wanted to use his imagination and writing skills to start an entirely new type of writing - books. His book "Island Stavkirke" covers the timeline from 1979 when the idea was first proposed through 2008 when a wooden walking path was added.