Priscilla A Mann

SOUTH HADLEY, MA - Priscilla A. Mann, beloved and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great- grandmother, and friend, died of natural causes May 10, 2020 at Holyoke Medical Center. She was 93 years old.

She was born on June 13, 1926 to Anna (Donnelly) and Irving Smith in Queens, NY, where she also grew up, graduating from Jamaica High School. At the age of 16, she entered Queens College, earning a BA in English on January 1, 1947. She took a job at Random House, where she was excited to work on the production of its first reference work, the American College Dictionary (1947).

Priscilla had already met the love of her life and future husband of 72 years, Jerold Mann, in 1942, at a rehearsal of the Queens College Community Chorus. They were married on August 24, 1947, then moved to Maryland, where he completed his college studies while she worked in the college library.

Upon his graduation, they moved back to New York, where she joined the staff of the NY Times Index. In 1952, Priscilla and Jerold resettled to Long Island to raise their family, first to East Meadow, then in 1959 to Port Washington, where they spent 50 happy years. In her 40s, Priscilla completed most of the work toward a Masters in Library Science, but she had to discontinue due to her mother's declining health. She soon began a new career in the Port Washington schools, running the High School Social Studies Resource Library and then the Weber Junior High English Resource Library. She led classes in how to do research and helped guide students through papers and projects.

Priscilla's knowledge, especially of Western Civilization-history, literature, the arts and culture-was astonishing. She always credited the stellar free education she received at Queens College, but her own interest and understanding played no small part. Despite such breadth and depth of knowledge, she had a knack for easy conversation with people of any background or age. She also was the repository and teller of the family histories, both her own and her husband's. She asked questions, she listened, and she remembered.

Possessing a beautiful soprano voice, singing was a special love for Priscilla. Over the decades, she and Jerold continued to sing together in a variety of fine community choruses on Long Island as well as in the Chancel Choir of the Congregational Church of Manhasset. Upon moving to Loomis Village in 2009, they joined the South Hadley Chorale and Loomis Village Chorus. She loved attending concerts and theater productions, most especially the very many which involved her children (all of whom went into music/theater careers) and grandchildren.

Priscilla took pleasure in traveling with Jerold in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Iceland. She especially appreciated the opportunity to spend a month in Trieste, Italy while her husband worked on a project there. A member of P.E.O., she served as chapter treasurer, vice-president, and president. Other activities she enjoyed included book clubs and play reading groups. She loved plants and flowers, and possessed quite a green thumb. House plants perked up in her presence!

Priscilla was predeceased by her younger sister Phyllis and her husband Jerold (by 13 days).

She is survived by children Diana Peelle (Paul) of Amherst, MA, Melissa Holland of Beacon, NY, and Jeremy Mann (Tim Casto) of Los Angeles, CA; grandchildren Tyson Peelle, Davin Peelle (Jennifer), and Emily Holland; great-granddaughters Esm? and Iris Peelle; as well as one niece and three nephews.

We would like to thank her caregivers while she was at Renaissance Manor on Cabot, and from O'Connell Care at Home during her last ten days back home, especially Lisa Dashnaw, who was a great comfort to her.

Priscilla will be remembered as loving and loyal, a sparkling conversationalist, a superb hostess, and the one who brought us all together.

Contributions may be made in Priscilla's memory to any music organization, such as the Congregational Church of Manhasset Choir (uccmanhasset.org), Valley Light Opera (vlo.org), Pioneer Valley Symphony (pvsoc.org), and the Gwen and Ray Bolger Fund at the UCLA Foundation (310-206-5999).

Due to physical distancing restrictions, a joint memorial with Jerold will be held at a later date.

LINKS

Amherst Bulletin

http://www.amherstbulletin.com