Prudence Pamela Perry

Our remarkable mother was an independent woman, a beloved matriarch, a world traveler, a scholar, and an English professor. She had a flair for the written word and a fondness for the spoken word. And even when she lost her words in her final months, she never lost her ability to laugh. Born in Fond du Lac, WI (a stop on the Orphan Train that dropped off her grandmother as a young girl), Prue spent much of her young life in New York boarding schools, while her parents pursued careers in the theater. As an adult, she lived in Milwaukee, where she and her first husband raised five kids. During that time, Prue earned her PhD in English and taught at Marquette University. She was also active in matters of social importance, including civil rights marches in the sixties and seventies, the ACLU (where she served on the Board of Directors and was once named Volunteer of the Year), creating and funding a mobile spay-and-neuter clinic for the veterinary school at The National Autonomous University of Mexico, and serving as a guardian ad litem advocating for children in the court system. Over the years, Prue traveled to exotic locations with her second husband Peter Banzhaf, other favorite travel companions (especially Lois Lurie), and even alone. Destinations included Cuba in the '90s, the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, China, and the Everglades in a canoe. That adventurous spirit prompted her - at age 70 - to join the Peace Corps. She spent two years in Tonga, where she developed a curriculum for teaching English and created a national dog spay-and-neuter campaign. Afterwards, Prue relocated to Minneapolis to be close to her children, their spouses and by now 10 grandchildren. To all 20, she was lovingly known as Grandma Prudy. Grandma Prudy enjoyed taking her grandchildren to plays and outings and then writing, in the voice of the child, about their experiences together in hilarious spiral-bound books. In turn, her children and grandchildren honored her on birthdays and at Christmases, by singing songs, playing musical instruments or reading poems aloud. Her long and healthy life was undoubtedly the result of mimosas (hold the OJ), ice cream, laughter and the love of her devoted family - and adored dog. Prue was preceded in death by: Adrienne (mother) and Patrick Pringle (stepfather), Priscilla Lohff (sister), John Byers (first husband), Peter Banzhaf, and perfect pets: Chloe, Percy, Quincy and Cokie. She is survived by her children Jeff (Susan), Onnie (Steve), Chris (Kathy), Susie (Kurt), and Nancy (Pete), as well as her grandchildren - Alex, Amy (Dan), Jordan, Will, Nick, Emily, Casey, James, Parker and Connor - and her dog Watson. Her family is deeply grateful for the attention, kindness and friendship shown to Prue by her caregivers Krisi Salyards, Susan Kelley and Marcia Olsonoski. Private arrangements are pending. Donations preferred to https://www.plannedparenthood.org/, https://www.cpsg.org/support-cpsg, https://act.everytown.org/donate/Tribute_donation_page/, or a charity of your choice.

Tributes

Prudence Pamela Perry

March 23, 1933 - September 17, 2024

Tributes

Prudence Pamela Perry

March 23, 1933 - September 17, 2024

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