John Jacob Prideaux

(age 85)

Passed away January 13, 2016 in Spokane, WA. John was born January 24, 1930 in the rural community of North Weare, New Hampshire. His father was a Quaker minister of a church in Durham, Maine. In 1936, his father accepted a call from a Quaker congregation in Everett, WA. John attended the Everett school system, graduating in 1948. While working part time in a grocery store, he attended Everett Junior College where he completed his freshman year. After working 14 months on a tugboat to earn money for additional schooling, he transferred to Washington State College in 1951.

Tug boating became a major financial influence in John’s life. Not only did the American Tug Company provide employment that permitted him to financially attend WSC initially, but each and every vacation, including summers, employment more or less automatically awaited. The money earned permitted him to complete his college career without debt.

At WSC John became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He graduated in 1953 with a BS degree in Police Science and Administration. While at WSC, John joined the ROTC program, rising through the ranks to that of Cadet Lt. Colonel. He won the Distinguished Military Student and later the Distinguished Military Graduate awards. Upon graduation, he was offered a regular Army commission but declined.

Following His August, 1953 commission as a 2nd Lt. in the Army’s Military Police Corps, he was assigned overseas duty in Korea where he remained until 1955. John was honorably discharged from the Army as a 1st Lt. at Fort Lewis in 1956.

John’s career in corrections also began in 1956, as a probation and parole officer in Vancouver, WA. Six months later he was transferred to the single person office in Walla Walla where he met and married his wife, Ann.

After two years in Walla Walla, John was promoted and transferred to Spokane where he completed his 33 year career, retiring in 1989, following heart surgery. John was a line officer for four years. He rose through the ranks to assistant supervisor and later Regional Administrator. John also served four years as president of the Washington Correctional Association.

In 2006 John and a colleague, Robert Kastama, published a book about their experiences in corrections, “The Quiet Service.” The funds from its sale were used to create the Michael Steven Erdahl Memorial at the Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien, WA in honor of all Correctional staff in the State that have died at the hands of others while in the performance of their duties.

For the last several years John participated every weekday morning in the Deaconess Cardiac Rehabilitation program where he faithfully worked at his reputation for being a troublemaker. He highly valued the association with the personnel and his co-participants.

John was involved in training field bred English Springer Spaniels for hunting and running in AKC Field trials for over 40 years. In addition to years of church solo work, John sang tenor some 50 years with a barbershop quartet that privately referred to themselves as “The Sons of Pitches.” He was involved in volunteer work of various kinds until his death.

John was predeceased by his father, William Prideaux and his mother, Myrtle Eugenie Prideaux. He is survived by his wife, Ann Prideaux, at the home; sister, Mary Henrie of Omak; son Christopher (Sonia) of Pembroke Pines, FL; daughter Joanna of Spokane; grandson Deacon of Pembroke Pines; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 318 South Cedar St., Spokane, WA at 2:00 pm, Monday, January 18, 2016. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Deaconess Cardiac Rehabilitation program or the Inland Empire English Springer Spaniel Club, c/o Darlene Cherry, 4482 W Kidd Island Rd., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.