Richard Prospero, 71, formerly of Pottstown Richard Prospero, 71, died in his home in Princeton, N.J. on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010 of pancreatic cancer. Mr. Prospero was born in Pottstown, on Nov. 17, 1938. He graduated from Pottstown High School, attended Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute in Reading, Pa. and
Penn State University. He was a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia and served as a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from 1962 to 1968. A member of the New Jersey Society of Licensed Professional Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Mr. Prospero retired in 2004 from Johnson & Johnson, where he worked for 28 years, developing machinery used in the manufacture of toothbrushes, dental floss and other consumer products. He holds eight patents used by the company in its production lines. Prior to Johnson and Johnson, Mr. Prospero worked as an engineer for Univac, the computer company now known as Unisys. Before moving to Princeton 20 years ago, Mr. Prospero lived in Kingston for 13 years and served as a member of the South Brunswick Shade Tree Commission. He was a nature lover who derived pleasure from nurturing seedlings and small saplings into mature plants. He was a resourceful man who never wasted anything, whether it was a pot of dirt or a broken lawnmower on the side of the road and was always ready to lend his mechanical skills to friends and neighbors. He was a man of many interests who enjoyed auditing classes at
Princeton University in subjects as diverse from engineering as "English Romantic Poetry" and "Renaissance Art and Sculpture." A classical music devotee, Mr. Prospero enjoyed attending performances at the Metropolitan Opera and local companies. During the last 10 years, Mr. Prospero served as a volunteer for U.S. First, a national organization that trains high school students to build robots for competitions. He began his volunteer work with Hillsborough High School's robotics team, but four years ago was involved in the creation of a new team for Ewing High School. Last year, he was one of the mentors who helped Ewing High School's team win first place in the national finals in Dallas, Texas. The team, which had recently expanded to include students from Katzenbach School for the Deaf, also earned the even more prestigious "Chairman's Award," given for community service, a great source of pride for Mr. Prospero. He also served for many years as a member of the troop committee of Boy Scout Troop 43. Upon retiring from Johnson and Johnson, Mr. Prospero and his wife lived in Italy for a year, taking art lessons in Rome and traveling throughout the country. He enjoyed skiing many Alpine slopes in the last 20 years, especially in Italy. Mr. Prospero is predeceased by his parents, Mary and Albert Prospero. He is survived by his wife, Linda; a son, Michael, of Jersey City, and daughter, Christina of New York City. He also leaves behind two brothers, Dr. Joseph Prospero of Miami and John Prospero of New York City, as well as many relatives here in the U.S. and Italy. Viewing hours will be on Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Ave., Princeton, NJ. Funeral services will begin at the funeral home on Tuesday Oct. 26, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 214 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ. Burial will be at Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, NJ In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Ewing High School's robotic team in the memory of Richard Prospero by sending a check to the Ewing Public Education Foundation (EPEF), PO Box 7033, Ewing, N.J. 08628 or in his memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2141 Rosecrans Ave - Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245. To share memories in our guest book or send condolences please visit
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