Paul Homer Prentiss

PAUL HOMER PRENTISS, born in Hobart, Ind. May 30,1926, died Little Rock, Ark., April 14, 2014, age 87. His parents, Paul Amos Prentiss and Lacceetta Campbell Prentiss; and his brother, William Prentiss pre-deceased him. He was married in Lafayette, Ind. nearly 64 years ago to Bonny Rose Oswalt, who survives him. His sister, Margaret Ann Prentiss Droze, of Hanahan, S.C., also survives him. Also surviving are his four children, Diana Taylor, Little Rock, Ark., Kathleen Schenkelberg, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., Lorna DePerro, Fowler, Colo., and Thomas Prentiss of Holden, La.; his 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. He led a wonderful life and was successful at everything he put his hand to. He was a woodworker and could build or fix anything. He loved growing things and planted wonderful flower gardens for his wife. He never met a stranger and had a friendly word for everyone he encountered. He had a sly wit and loved to just sit and visit, especially about trucks. He was a kind-hearted and generous man and never begrudged his wife anything she wanted to buy or any trip she wanted to take. He will be missed by all who knew him, including those who tended to him during his last days in Little Rock. As a 19 year-old machinist first mate in the Navy during WW II, while in the South Pacific, he and a few of his buddies encountered a contingent of Japanese soldiers and their commanding officer who quickly surrendered 10,000 men to the young petty officers, making him a war hero! He attended Purdue University on the G.I. Bill. During a summer break, Mr. Prentiss began his lifelong career in the trucking industry as a salesman for International Harvester in Lafayette, Ind., and was so good at it, he never went back to college. He soon met and married Bonny Oswalt after asking her married older sister, Irene Swick, if she had any more at home like her! They had planned to elope, but were convinced to get married in the home of Bonny's sister, Grace Louise Kalberer, in conjunction with a family reunion on Aug. 5, 1950. Mr. Prentiss founded Prentiss Truck Sales, Inc. establishing it on the old Highway 52 in Lafayette and prospered for many years as a dealer for Kenworth Trucks, Mack Trucks, Willys Jeeps and Case Equipment. In 1962, he was named dealer of the year by Kenworth and his entire family was flown to Seattle for the convention and the World's Fair. In 1971, he moved to Miami, Fla. and went to work for International Harvester again and earned their highest award in sales: triple diamond. He worked as a fleet salesman and eventually retired as a manager for the now-named Navistar in 1980. During this time he received a U. S. patent for a product used in the semi- trucking industry. After retirement, he moved to Dothan, Ala. because his wife wanted to move "back up north". He worked briefly as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity there. As a hobby, he continued to invent things to help simplify life. He spent most of the last few years caring for his wife. They both moved to Little Rock in 2013. Mr. Prentiss's body was cremated and his ashes will be buried in the family plot in Lafayette, Ind. on Memorial Day weekend, May 25. www.arkansasfuneralcare.com.