Cecil Howard Prentice, Sr.

Mr. Cecil Howard Prentice, Sr., age 95, passed to his Heavenly Home on Sunday, January 18, 2009, and joined his wife of 75 years. Cecil, originally from North Alabama, moved with his wife and young son to Mobile, Gulfport and most recently to Ocean Springs for the past thirty years. In addition to his early entrepenourial achievements, Cecil was an accomplished master welder and was instrumental in building ships that were deployed during three wars. He retired in his early 70's from Ingalls Shipbuilding. Cecil was an ordained Deacon for many years, attended yearly camp meetings and dedicated years of service to the Church. He promoted the Christian faith by both word and deed. He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel W. and Ruth Ann Skelton Prentice, son, Cecil Prentice, Jr. wife of 75 years, Flora Irene Smith Prentice, and his brother, Robert. His presence will be greatly missed by those of us who called him "Pepa": grandsons, Douglas C. Prentice and wife Brandy, Bud Mills and wife Elizabeth, granddaughter, Terri Mendoza, and great-grandchildren, Sharley, Deven and Aaron. Visitation will be on Monday, January 26, 2009, from 1-2 PM, with a 2 PM church service, all at New Canaan Baptist Church in Arab, AL. Burial will immediately follow in the New Canaan Baptist Church Cemetery. His family would like to offer a special thanks to the Ocean Springs Nursing Center for their compassionate care over the past two and a half years. The Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.