James Robb Prentice, 86 of Emily Place, formerly Pine Hill Mobile Home Park, died January 19, 2008 at the Sullivan County Health Care.  He was born in Hartford, CT on October 18, 1921 the son of James M. and Beda A. (Johnson) Prentice and had resided in Claremont since July of 1987.

He was a graduate of Bulkeley High School in Hartford, CT in the Class of 1939.  He began work as a driver for a wholesale tobacco company and on October 1, 1942 entered the army.  Taking basic training at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, IN with the 83^rd Infantry Division.  He left for England in April of 1944 and landed in Normandy Dplus 12 and ended up with the division 63 miles from Berlin.  He spent 270 days in combat and received five battle stars.  Following the war, he joined the 83^rd Infantry Division Assoc. and was a National Officer in the organization for seventeen years and ended his last year as Chairman of the Board.

He began work after the war for a wholesale grocery firm and then drove for a magazine distributor.  Following that, he worked for Commercial Credit as an auto adjuster.

He joined the Hartford Post Office as a letter carried in 1948.  He was a Past President of Branch 86 Hartford, Ct N.A.L.C , Chairman of the State Convention of Letter  Carriers in 1955, and retired from the Hartford Post Office as a Foreman of Mails.  He was member of the Greater Hartford Central Labor Union and was also active with the United Cerebral Palsy Association.

He lived in Hartford, Ct for 65 years and was a member of the South Congregational Church for over fifty years and served as an usher,  Deacon and Chairman of the Van Committee, driving the elderly to church  on Sundays and Thursday night suppers.

Following the Post Office, he worked for a few years as a truck driver for Phoenix Mutual Insurance Co. before leaving to take care of his wife who was very ill.   He moved to Claremont, NH in 1987 where his sister and family once lived.

He was a member of the South Congregational Church in Newport where he also was Deacon and usher.

He was a member of the American Legion Post #29 and a life member of the V.F.W. Post #808 both of Claremont; a life member of the N.A.R.F.E.; a life member of the Battle of the Bulge; a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels; a charter member of the W.W.II War Memorials and A.A.R.P.

His wife, Estella (Buckingham) Prentice died in May of 1980.

The surviving family includes, one sister, Marjorie E. Meador of North Ft. Meyers, FL; one brother, William D. Prentice of Marlborough, CT;  also nieces, two nephews; Robert & Richard Meador and friends including Richard Breed and Dennis Francis of Claremont and George Miller of Vernon, CT and Albert Belvedere of S. Hampton, NJ.

Graveside committal services with full military honors provided by the American Legion Post #29 of Claremont, will be held June 11, 2008 at Two-Thirty in Mt View Cemetery in Claremont with Rev. Roger Dailey of the South Congregational Church of Newport, officiating.