Milne Alumni October Newsletter
October 15, 2017

by Judy Koblintz Madnick, '61

A VISIT WITH DON PRUDEN

From Andy Scherer, '74: "Many of us have fond memories of Mr. Pruden, whether as a student in one of his classes or through the clubs he mentored. He was an engaging teacher with a wicked sense of humor who respected our individuality and talents. I've stayed in touch with Don, mostly through regular email exchanges. Recently I hadn't heard back from him in a while so I called to see if he was OK, which he was. At 81 Don remains active, although he admits to being 'a bit forgetful these days.' We made plans for Adina [Sabghir Scherer, '75] and me to come for a visit.

"Don bought his childhood home in Riverdale, New Jersey, some years back and lives there with his wife Providence (Provi), whom some of us met at the 2012 reunion. Riverdale is only a 45-minute drive from our home in Manhattan. Adina and I went on a bike ride earlier that day, and we were still in our cycling clothes when we arrived.

"He must have been eager to see us, as he was waiting for us on his front porch when we arrived. Provi was occupied with the men's finals of the U.S. Open, so we didn't get to spend time with her.

"We spent awhile on the porch, and for much of our visit he shared a photo album of a trip through Israel he and Provi took last year, visiting many churches and religious sites. 'I'm not much for church,' he told us, so his eye was often drawn to unusual and sometimes overlooked subjects as they traveled about. Ever the detail-oriented scientist, each photo was carefully labeled with a record of its location, the equipment he used, and details about its exposure.

"He shared stories about growing up in the area, singing slightly bawdy songs on the school bus, and building model rockets for a science fair ('It was more of a loud blow torch than a rocket, but I won a prize!'). It was wonderful to see him, and he clearly enjoyed our visit together.

"If you didn't know what happened to Don after Milne closed, he continued teaching sciences at a Hebrew Academy in Troy, after which he worked as an oncology research scientist (his primary degree is in biology) until his retirement."

SAD NEWS

Please note that I rely upon www.legacy.com and input from other alumni for this information, so if you become aware of someone who has passed away, please let me know. If a name is underlined, it represents a link to the obituary. Many obituaries are available free for a limited time only.

David L. Siegal, '49, passed away in December. He was the brother of Ellen Siegal, '52.

Judith ("Judi") Ann Mirella, '71, sister of Charles Mirella, '73, and Shirley Mirella Farmer, '75, passed away on August 28, 2017.

Lionel Sharp, '45, passed away on August 29, 2017.

Charles S. Moose, '55, son of faculty member Dr. Carlton Moose, passed away on October 9, 2017.

Return to Newsletter page