Robert E. Prince

SAN JOSE, CA – Lt. ColonelRobert E. Prince, age 86 and retired United States Air Force officer, passedaway peacefully in San Jose, CA on Saturday, May 25, 2013.   Funeral Services in honor and celebration ofhis life will be held at Noon on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at Adams FuneralChapel with Reverend Robert Lee officiating. Burial with Military Rites conducted by the Honor Guard of theCharleston VFW Paul McVey Post 1592 will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardensin Mattoon.  Visitation for family andfriends will be held on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until service time.  It is suggested that thoughtful donations inhis honor be made to Hospice of the Valley. Gifts may be left on the memorialtable at the visitation or service, mailed to Hospice of the Valley, 4850 UnionAvenue, San Jose, CA 95124 or mailed to Adams Funeral Chapel, 2330 ShawneeDrive, Charleston, IL  61920. 

BobPrince was born on February 10, 1927 to the late John and Ruth (Justice) Princeof Charleston.  He joined the Army AirCorps when he turned 18 in 1945 and served in the occupation force in Germanyfor two years before returning to school in Illinois.  In 1947, he met and married Helen Mowrer, hisbeloved wife of 60 years; and in 1949, enrolled in officer's training andflight schools in the newly established U.S. Air Force.  Bob was primarily a fighter pilot during hisAir Force career which included assignments in England, California, Okinawa,Texas, Maine, Greenland, and Cape Cod, MA. He completed his Master's Degree in Social Science while teaching ROTCat San Jose State (1958-1962) and served as commander (in succession) of the 75th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Bangor, Maine (67-68), Sondrestrom AFB inGreenland (68-69), the 60th FIS at Otis AFB on Cape Cod (69-71), andNorth Truro AFS also on the Cape (71-74). 

Bob retired to Normal,Illinois in 1976 where he sold real estate and did volunteer work in support ofPlanned Parenthood, the United Nations, and the Sister City program.  Bob and Helen moved to San Jose in 2004 to becloser to the California contingent of the family and lived at The Villagesuntil Helen's death in 2008.  In recentyears, Bob struggled to overcome a broken hip, Parkinson's and dementia, butmaintained his sense of humor and positive attitude.  Despite his 30 years of service to hiscountry and all of his accomplishments, Bob's greatest legacy is the love,support and guidance he gave to his family. Through his encouragement and his example, he taught them to alwaysthink of others and to step up and do the right thing when required.  He will be sorely missed, but his influencewill live on through those by whom he is survived: a sister, Anna May Robertsof Canton, MI; his four children, Melody (John) Ross of San Jose, Marilyn (Bob)Louden of Valley Springs, CA, Bonnie (Tom) Sawyer of Richmond Hills, GA; Phil Prince of San Jose; and his 14 grandchildren and 23great-grandchildren.  In addition to hisparents he was preceded in death by his brothers, John Prince of ArlingtonHeights, IL and Bill Prince of Kankakee, IL.