Calvin K. Prine

A memorial service celebrating the life of Calvin Kerr Prine, 88, of Granville, OH will be held Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 110 W. Broadway, Granville with the Rev. Karen Chakoian as celebrant. Cal passed away peacefully on October 18, 2017 at Licking Memorial Hospital after a brief hospitalization.

Cal was born November 4, 1928 in Pittsburgh, PA to Charles and Mabel (Kerr) Prine.  He received his undergraduate degree with honors from Denison University as a member of the Class of 1950, where he was a member of the American Commons Club and a cross-country varsity letterman. He received a full scholarship to continue his studies at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating in 1953.   Following service in the US Army, based in Ft. Benning, GA, Cal worked for several years with a Pittsburgh law firm. He wed Clara S. Prine on Feb. 28, 1959 in Pittsburgh. They were married 49 years until her death on August 3, 2008.  

Cal and Clara moved to Granville in 1959 so that Cal could serve as Denison’s first development officer. He remained with the college for more than two decades, becoming the Director of Institutional Advancement and serving as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the college. After leaving Denison, he continued in development work for the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges and for The Ohio State University, College of Biological Sciences.

His deeply held sense of civic responsibility led to a lifetime of volunteer leadership in the community and in the many organizations he supported.  Cal served 25 years on the Village Board of Zoning and Appeals, was a past president of the Granville Historical Society, was a long-time member of the Licking County Bar Association and was on the boards of the Licking County Red Cross and the Friends of WOSU.

As a professional fund-raiser with an appreciation for the importance of planned giving, Cal exemplified the commitment to ongoing charitable giving throughout his life. Of note, he and Clara established two musical endowments: one to sustain Classical Music on WOSU-FM and the other to benefit the music program of the First Presbyterian Church in Granville. They also supported his alma mater in many ways, including the Charles W. Prine Class of 1915 and Family Endowment Scholarship Fund.

An active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Granville for more than 50 years, Cal served in many capacities: as an Elder, Clerk of Session, liturgist and, on occasion, lay worship leader.

A proud alumnus, Cal was a life-long supporter of Denison athletics, theater, music programs and alumni events. For many years he volunteered as a timekeeper for Denison track meets and, with long-time friends, was an officer of the American Commons Club alumni association and active in DU class of ’50 and ACC reunion planning. In retirement, Cal also volunteered with the DU student services department, recording reading selections for students.

Clara and Cal were enthusiastic founding residents of Kendal at Granville, where Cal served a term as President of the Resident’s Association and also started a men’s social group, The Muggers.  

Throughout his life, Cal enjoyed travel, whether around the United States and Canada with his family or to various countries in Europe with Clara, but his favorite destination for the past 22 years was the annual Prine family vacation with his children and grandchildren at Twin Lake Village, in New London, NH.

Cal was the beloved father of daughters Cynthia (Bob) Averill of Wappingers Falls, NY and Carolyn (Peter) Freedman of Littleton, CO and a cherished “Gpa” to his seven grandchildren (and their spouses): Rob (Caitlin) Averill, Courtney (Curtis) Biederbeck, Lindsay Averill, and Ethan, Darren, Austin and Galen Freedman.  He is also survived by his younger sister, Mary Helen Prine Kelly of Tempe, AZ, and sisters-in-law Eugenia S. Longcrier of Duquesne, PA and Elizabeth Prine of Pittsburgh, PA.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his elder brother, Charles W. Prine, Jr.

The family will receive friends at a reception held in the church Heritage Hall immediately following the memorial service. Graveside services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Clara and Calvin Prine Endowed Music Fund, First Presbyterian Church, Granville; to the Charles W. Prine ‘15 and Family Endowment Scholarship Fund at Denison University; to the Kendal at Granville Caring Friends Fund, or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Special thanks to the staff of Kendal at Granville and to the caregivers from Home Instead and Interim Health Care. 

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