John Prospero

John M. Prospero, 75, died on Friday, April 29, 2011, of a heart attack while visiting his daughter in Rhode Island. Born in Pottstown, Pa. on March 13, 1936, Mr. Prospero lived and worked most of his life as an architectural engineer in New York City. He graduated from the Hill School in 1955 and from Penn State University in 1960. Following graduation, John worked as a structural engineer at Atlas Associates. He also worked for several other architectural firms in New York City, including Paul Rudolph Architect, where he represented the firm from 1976 to 1978 in Bangladesh during the construction of an agricultural university there. He returned to Bangladesh in the early 1980s to continue working on the Agricultural University. Most of his career was spent with Davis, Brody Bond Aedas, where he was the firm's field representative on many projects in New York City and across the U.S. including buildings for Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York University and the World Trade Center. He called New York City home for most of his adult life, a place he loved and where he found constant inspiration. But he also loved to travel and had a particular fondness for hiking and backpacking in the Himalayan mountains and visited many places in the Anapurna range, including the Everest base camp. Although he traveled to remote parts of the world and reveled in learning more about other cultures, in later years, he derived the most pleasure from spending time with his family, in particular, his six-year old grandson. He was an intelligent and gentle man who was generous not only to his friends and family, but to strangers as well. He was a voracious reader who held spirited conversations on issues that were important to him, but through example, he demonstrated the qualities of patience and kindness. He will also be remembered for his unfailing ability to tell a good story in an animated fashion. Mr. Prospero was predeceased by his parents, Mary and Albert Prospero. and his brother Richard Prospero, who died in Oct. 2010. He is survived by his daughter, Ming Lee Prospero, son-in-law Chris Raithel and grandson Hayden of Hope Valley, Rhode Island; brother Dr. Joseph Prospero and sister-in-law Janis Prospero of Miami; sister-in-law Linda Prospero of Princeton, N.J., former wife Julia Prospero, of New York City, as well as nephews Gregory Prospero of Durham, N.C., Michael Prospero of Jersey City, N.J. and niece Christina Prospero of New York City. He also leaves behind his Aunt Alice Toro in Pottstown, as well as many relatives both in the U.S. and in Italy. Visiting hours for friends and relatives will be held on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to noon followed by eulogies at 12:30 p.m. at Warker-Troutman Funeral Home, 450 East High Street, Pottstown, Pa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in John Prospero's memory to Pine Point School, Memorial Garden Fund, 89 Barnes Road, Stonington, Ct. 06378 and to The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, 4 Chase Metrotech Center, 7th Floor East; Lockbox 5193, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11245.