Rita Imogene "“Gene”" Prang

Rita Imogene "Gene" Thompson Prang passed away Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Bellevue, Washington.

Gene was born on Bethlehem Academy Road near Cecilia, the fourth of 11 children and the eldest daughter of Joe and Gertrude Thomas Thompson.

After Gene graduated from Bethlehem Academy in 1951, she went to work at Fort Knox, where she met her future husband, Don Prang, who was stationed there. They were married in 1960 and settled in Don's hometown of Warren, Michigan, where they raised their four children.

Gene was a voracious reader and loved learning. She earned her bachelor of arts in 1981 while working full-time and raising her children.

In 1984, Don, an engineer with Ford, had the opportunity to work in Japan and in 1987 they moved to Germany. While living overseas, they had the opportunity to travel widely, including China, Korea, Egypt, Turkey and Spain, etc. They were in Germany when the Berlin Wall was brought down.

Don died in 2022.

Gene is survived by her four children, Greg (Sandra), Jeff (Ray), Joe (Hiromi) and Mary; six grandchildren, Mei, Jei, Trey, Dan, Keisy and Makenna; two brothers, Bill (Jeanie) and Norb (Bonnie) Thompson; and a sister, Rose Mary Ryan.

Don and Gene will be interred at St. John Cemetery at a later date.