Thomas Prue Sr.

Thomas Prue Sr., 87, beloved husband of Nannette Prue of Middletown, died Sept. 26, 2012, at Middlesex Hospital. He was the son of the late Adelard "Delroy" and Blanche (Hudon) Prue.
He was born on Nov. 28, 1924, in Rockville but grew up in Rockfall. He moved permanently to Middletown when he married Jennie Morello. After her passing, he remarried Nannette (Hartigan) Giesbrant.
He was a member of the 110th Anti-Aircraft Battalion from 1943 to 1945, stationed in Europe. He participated in the Invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach, D-Day Plus One. He participated in five major battles in the European theater and in the Battle of the Bulge.
He worked as a maintenance millwright at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in Middletown for over 30 years before retirement. Tom was active in sports most of his life either playing, coaching, or in a volunteer capacity. He played baseball for Middlefield in the Shoreline Baseball League as a shortstop and pitcher, and played as a defenseman for many area hockey teams. He coached the Middlefield Ahern Whalen baseball team to many league and all star championships, and coached (along with Art Hatje Sr.) the Bernie O'Rourke Little League All Stars to their first two District nine championships.
In the 1960s, Tom, and his brother Nel, coached the Middlefield Tiger midget football teams, leading them to 3 consecutive league titles. In 1967, he (along with Phil Cashman), established the first Middletown Pop Warner Midget football teams, the Cougars (north end) and the Mustangs (south end). Tom and his brother Nel coached the Mustangs from 1967-1970.
In 1971, he was hired as a curator at the newly built Wesleyan University hockey rink. With the opening of the Wesleyan rink, Tom was able to introduce ice hockey and figure skating to hundreds of area youths. He established the "Rink Rats", a group of youngsters who worked at the rink, and their reward would be valuable ice time. Many of the rink rats went on to become excellent high school, prep, and college hockey players. He was also influential in creating Midget hockey in Middletown beginning in 1971.
Tom's passion for sports led him to volunteer at many athletic events. He would spend his spare time refereeing youth hockey games, helping out at high school track meets, but most notably he was in charge of the "Chain Gang," responsible for holding the yardage markers at Xavier and Middletown high school football games. Calling it "the best seat in the house" he held the sticks for close to 30 years.
Tom's other passion was bluegrass music. He played professionally with the "Country Cousins" and he has been proclaimed by many as Connecticut's "bluegrass father." He spent many weekends traveling to bluegrass festivals around New England and New York all the while leading groups of "pickers" through many hours of spontaneous picking sessions, enjoying another one of his passions – beer. He also taught guitar lessons for a number of years.
Besides his wife 32 years, he is survived by two daughters, Michele Augliera and her husband Anthony of East Haven, and Rosanne Tine and her husband Theodore of Middletown, and his son Thomas Prue Jr. and his wife Cynthia of Middletown. He also leaves behind four sisters, Dorothy Tyc and Virginia Konefal of Rockfall, Patricia Damiata of Cromwell, and Lorraine Swenson of North Carolina, and his brother Robert Prue of Tampa Florida. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Kelly Parcesepe, Jenny Mathews, Thomas Prue III, and Kenneth Prue, as well as four great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his step daughter Patti Greco and her sons Jordan Greco and Justin Greco. He was predeceased by his brothers Bernard, Nelson, Leonard, Charles, Donald, William, and Arthur, and his sisters Eileen Day and Delores Prue.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown. Burial with military honors will be held at the State Veterans Cemetery. Friends may call at Biega's Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Those who wish may make memorial contributions to Weiss Hospice Unit c/o Dept. of Philanthropy, 28 Crescent St., Middletown, CT 06457.
Please sign the Guest Book at RememberingCT.us/middletownpress.