Obituary of Edwin J. Prior

Edwin Joseph Prior of Woodstock, Connecticut, died June 19, 2009 at Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam, Connecticut. He was born January 15, 1917 in New York City, New York. Edwin was a graduate of Hilliard College, now the University of Hartford. His distinguished career led him to American Brands, where he retired as Chief Accounting Officer, after progressing through increasingly responsible positions in American Tobacco Company. Edwin was a talented woodworker, designing and creating many beautiful pieces of handcrafted furniture. He was an avid gardener and loved reading about Civil War history. He was a friend of the Abington Church for many years. Edwin was preceded in death by his parents, John Thomas and Augusta Steller Prior, his sister Mary Negri, and his wife Eva Jane Covell Prior. He is survived by his sons, Stephen Robert and his wife Emily of Petersburg, Virginia, and Michael Joseph and Maria Clouter of East Anglia, England; and by two grandsons and one great-grandson. In addition, he is survived by his brothers Robert and Jack Prior, and one sister, Lucille Donnelly. The family expresses sincere appreciation to Dr. Kevin Boucher and his staff, and to the staffs of Westview Healthcare Center and Day Kimball Hospital who provided kind and gracious care to Mr. Prior throughout his lengthy illness. A memorial service will be held at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 2 p.m. Mr. Prior will be interred in Abington Cemetery, Abington, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Edwin J. Prior Business Library Fund, ATTN: University of Hartford, Toni Robinson, at the Alumni House, 312 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117. To share a memory with his family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com