It is with great sadness that we pass along news that our father, James William Pruner, 75, passed away on April 23 at his home in Worthington, Massachusetts.

Jim was born September 23rd, 1948 in Manhattan, New York, our dad spent his childhood in Park Ridge, New Jersey. It was while living there that he was drafted into the US Army where he would serve from 1969-1971. His service included a tour in Vietnam where, among other tasks, he served as Dan Rather’s personal driver.

His service in the Army led to a more than 50-year career in Veterans Affairs where he helped fellow veterans rehab as a horticultural therapist. Upon retiring, one of his co-workers described him well, saying she would miss his “no-nonsense, compassionate manner,” and we agree with this description (although we would argue that there was definitely SOME nonsense).

Our father was a man who would tell you what he thought, if not with words, with the look on his face. He was an insatiable reader who was often feeding that habit at the Worthington Swim Club, where he was a fixture throughout our childhoods. If small Massachusetts towns gave away awards for the “best tan” our dad would have been the most decorated Worthington resident of all time. It wasn’t all books and bronzing. He dedicated countless hours to our town through his work with the recreation department. Whether planning the annual Halloween party, or most notably, as the man behind the Hilltown Junior Olympics, he gave his time generously and without hesitation.

The list of things that we will miss about him is near endless: he had a fantastic laugh and the world's most ridiculous, baritone phone voice. He had an unrivaled love of chocolate and gave us a childhood where we thought a deep fryer was something that every household owned. His afternoon nap was non-negotiable. He removed marinara sauce from pasta for us when our mom wasn't looking. He randomly became an avid jogger in his 50s. He was the cool chaperone on field trips. He was the reason at least one of us did not get what would have quickly become a very regrettable tattoo. He was without question the parent you wanted answering the phone if you found yourself at the state police barracks while in high school. He was a grandfather who created traditions for his grandkids with the same enthusiasm he did for us as kids.

Any tribute to our dad would be empty without mentioning his love for the Jersey Shore, and specifically, Long Beach Island. Our father had vacationed on LBI since he was a child and it is the place that he made sure became our family vacation as well. It would be impossible to list the memories and landmark moments that can be attributed to this place from our childhoods. As we grew to adults it became the place that we spent the most shared time as a family. It is a place that we have now shared with our own families and started to make new generations of memories and traditions. Some of our last conversations with him were about this year’s trip. There will be a large void at the shore this Summer, but we look forward to carrying his memory (and his bucket hat, chair, umbrella and pretzel rods) with us for every walk down the beach.

We love you Dad, and we miss you terribly.

He leaves behind three children: Sarah, Kate and JJ; six grandsons: Max, Ryan, Avery, Landon, Wesley and Dean; and a granddaughter: Lauren.

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