The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
Major Richard James (Dick) Prairie, 72, of Valdosta, died Monday, Sept. 6, 2010, at South Georgia Medical Center. Born in Chicago, Ill., on April 20, 1938, he was the son of the late Maynard Roland Prairie and the late Violet Constance Kovac Prairie. Mr. Prairie grew up in Kankakee, Ill., and was a 1956 graduate of Bradley Burbonae High School, working at Steak and Shake from 1952-1958 as a soda jerk. From 1956 –1960, he owned a local Kankakee painting business. On June 13, 1959, he married Janet Elaine Adcock at St. Rose in Kankakee.
In January 1961, he joined the U.S. Army. During his military career, he was the recipient of many awards including the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars with Valor, Army Commendation Medal for Valor and Bravery, The Purple Heart, The Air Medal, The Vietnamese Cross of Galantry with Silver Star and The Vietnamese Staff Service Medal. In 1973, he left the Army and moved his family to Valdosta. He began working with Pepsi and attended Valdosta Area Technical School where he won the GOAL Student Award and served as president of the Student Council. He began a career with the United States Post Office in 1978, and worked until his retirement in 2002.
Mr. Prairie was a member of Ousley Baptist Church where he served as moderator and sang in the choir.
Preceded in death by his wife, Mr. Prairie is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Cathy and Thomas Sims of Valdosta; sons and daughter-in-law, John and Allison Prairie of Valdosta, Michael and Lacherisa Prairie of Valdosta; grandchildren, Justin Sims, Sarah Sims, John Pierre Prairie, Ivan Prairie, Megan Prairie, Wayland Prairie, Rebecca Prairie; brother, Donald M. Prairie of Valdosta; sisters, Gayle and Tom Commarano of West Palm Beach, Fla., Barbara and Reiner Kuschel of Conover, N.C.
Funeral service will be held Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, at 10 a.m. in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home. Dr. Clyde Stokes and the Rev. Dillard Ensley will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow in Ousley Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6–8 p.m. today. Condolences may be conveyed online at www.mclanefuneralservices.com. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
