Hartford Courant January 2, 2006
PRIOR, James J., Jr. James J. Prior Jr., 60, of Glastonbury and formerly of Vernon and Manchester, husband of Sandra L. (Ricci) Prior, passed away Saturday, (December 31, 2005) at Manchester Memorial Hospital. He was born October 16, 1945 in Manchester, son of the late James J. and Frances M. (Dowden) Prior and grew up in Manchester and had lived in Vernon before moving to Glastonbury in 1975. He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran serving during Vietnam and graduated from Central Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Police Academy. Jim was the owner of American Ladders and Scaffolds in Glastonbury and had been in the ladder and scaffold business in the Hartford area for over 40 years. He was a Police Officer with the Vernon Police Dept. from 1969- 1994. He was a former Director with the Tri-County Fire Police Association in 1972 and a Director with the Interstate Police Officers Assoc. in 1973. He was also a member of the Police Assoc. of CT. since 1972, the Connecticut Police Chiefs Assoc. since 1988 and was a founding member of the Connecticut Fire/Police Assoc. in 1988. Besides his loving wife Sandi, he is survived by two sons, James J. Prior III and his wife Tanya of Hebron, Kevin A. Prior and his wife Christina of Bolton; his sister Kathryn "Cindy" Prior of Harwinton; brother, Thomas J. Prior and his wife, Lynn of Manchester; four grandchildren, Joshua Prior and Casey Prior both of Hebron, Alexander Prior and Anthony Prior both of Bolton and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be Thursday, January 5, at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Manchester, 240 Hillstown Rd., Manchester. Burial will be private. Calling hours will be held Wednesday, from 4-7 p.m. at the Watkins Funeral Home, 142 East Center St. In lieu flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Worship Center Building Fund, P.O. Box 1435 Hebron, CT 06248. Donation envelopes are available at the Watkins Funeral Home. For directions or to sign the online register book go to www.holmes-watkinsfuneralhomes.com.
Published in the Hartford Courant on 1/2/2006
Guest Book Hartford Courant announcement