William H. Pryor, Jr.

William (Bill) Harry Pryor, Jr., 78, a resident of West Chester, went home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 8, 2025.  He was the husband of Diane Gail (nee Stanley) for 57 years.  Born in Lancaster and raised in Harrisburg, he was the son of the late William H. and Josephine (nee Bostic) Pryor.  In addition to his wife, he is survived by 3 children: Tracy (Peter) Reilly of West Chester; William S. (J. Nicole) Pryor of Moorpark, CA; and James Pryor of West Chester, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren; his sister, Constance Bower of Hummelstown and brother, Gene Pryor of Harrisburg.  Bill was preceded in death by his daughter, Tara Jane Merion.

Bill earned a teaching degree from West Chester State College and taught Biology and other sciences at B. Reed Henderson High School for 35 years. While at Henderson, Bill also coached the Freshman soccer and baseball teams, ran the concession stand for Henderson’s football games, and coached his son’s youth baseball team.  In his youth, he assisted his father with the family business, Pryor Signs, and worked at AMF during summer breaks from college.  Bill was also self-employed in construction and volunteered with Henderson’s Astronomy Club.  Upon retirement, Bill and Diane moved to Cocoa Beach, FL, for 8 years, where they witnessed the end of the shuttle launches and landings, and the beginnings of the SpaceX program.

A member of Calvary Lutheran Church, West Chester, and Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Cocoa Beach, FL, Bill volunteered as an usher at the former and a member of the grounds crew at the latter.  He also served as condo association president in Cocoa Beach, FL.

Bill had a wonderful sense of humor and was known for his puns.  He loved to decorate greeting cards with cartoon characters and flabbergasted children and adults into believing he could remove part of his thumb.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church, 730 South New Street, West Chester, PA  19382 on Monday, April 14, at 11:00.  Visitation will precede the service at 9:30. Luncheon will follow the service in Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his name may be sent to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), 200 Vesey Street, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10281, or to Calvary Lutheran Church.