Achim was born on August 18th, 1938, in Dresden, Germany to Albert and Johanna Purschwitz. He left East Germany to travel the world in 1954, and in 1961 met his future wife, Chizuko, in Cairo, Egypt. They would meet again two years later in Tokyo, Japan, where they were later married and had their first daughter, Anne Marie. They set sail for Canada to start a new life, settling in Radium Hot Springs where their second daughter, Natalie, was born, and where he hosted and entertained countless guests and friends in the family business, the Alte Liebe Restaurant, for more than 40 years.

Achim was always an adventurer, travelling throughout Africa and the Middle East in the 1950’s and 60’s, as well as South and Central Asia, the Far East, the South Pacific and Australia climbing mountains and pyramids and making many friends along the way, and later with his family, travelled extensively throughout Mexico and Central America, and many other places. He was rarely seen without a camera in his hands, and his love of the natural world in all of its living colour and wonder was expressed through thousands of stunning photographs.

He passed away peacefully on November 29, 2023 in North Saanich, BC. He is survived by his brother, Michael, nephew Frank and family, Karin, Selina and Nico, his brother Manfred, his daughter Natalie and husband Stuart, his daughter Anne Marie, husband Bill and grandchildren, Coco and Tedra, and his beloved wife, Chizuko. He will be dearly missed.