Pryor T. Smith, Jr.

Stoughton- Pryor T. Smith Jr., age 80, passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at St. Mary's Hospital surrounded by family.  He was born in Medellin, Colombia on June 24, 1928, the son of Presbyterian missionaries Pryor and Letha (Brubaker) Smith.  Pryor was the eldest of six children.  When his mother died in 1942 the family returned to the United States.  Pryor Sr. married Alice Sjogren on January 31, 1945.  World War II prevented the family returning to Colombia.  Pryor Sr. had several Presbyterian pastorates in the Midwest.  Pryor Jr. graduated from Park College in 1950 and taught in Winterset, Iowa for four years before getting his Master's degree from the UW and then obtaining a teaching position in Stoughton in 1958.  On August 14, 1959, Pryor married Reta J. Haldorson.  During his teaching career he was a member of the National Council of Teachers of Math, Life member of the National Education Association, member of the Wisconsin Education Association and Stoughton Education Association of which he was treasurer and membership secretary for many years.  ...[more]

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addition to teaching, Pryor was Athletic Ticket Manager for 10 years, School Bus Routes Coordinator for three years, Math Team Advisor for 18 years and School Census Coordinator from 1962 to 2001.  Pryor was active in the Methodist Church serving as financial secretary, membership secretary, usher, liturgist, trustee and member of the church choir.  He served as treasurer of the Crop Walk, Data Processor for the Holiday Fund, was member of the Rotary Club for 15 years, and was an active member of the Milton Village Square Dance Club, serving four years as president of that organization as well as secretary of the SW area of the Square Dance Association of WI and editor of their monthly newsletter "tips and cues" for several years.  Pryor and his wife, Reta, received the Stoughton Community Appreciation Award in 1993 from the Norse Dancers.  The couple moved to the Vennevoll Retirement Condos complex in 2002.  Pryor updated and maintained the "Village" directory since 2003.  In 2006 he began accumulating histories of the rural schools around Stoughton to compile and preserve in the Stoughton Library  in addition to the square dance activity.  Pryor is survived by his wife of 49 years, Reta; his children, Melinda (Sam Dretzka) of Stoughton, Zenda (Kay Caldwell) of Estes Park, CO, and Andrew of Madison; grandson, Nicholas Dretzka; four brothers, Bob (Elaine) of Minneapolis, MN, Paul (Margaret) of Fort Collins, Colorado and David (Linda) of Sister Bay; Karl (Maureen) of Sparta, New Jersey; and sister, Joanne Drake of Fruita, Colorado; and several nieces.  He was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother; and brother-in-law, Carol Drake.  Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at Stoughton United Methodist Church, 535 N. Lincoln, Stoughton.  Friends may greet the family from 10:00 AM until the time of service on Thursday.  Private entombment was held at Roselawn Memorial Park.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pryor T. Smith Scholarship Fund at Evergreen Bank  207 S. Forrest St. Stoughton, WI 53589.  A special thank you to the staff and Doctors in the St. Mary's Medical Intensive Care Unit.