Clarice Prescott

Tribute

Clarice Arlene (Pratt) Prescott died on May 20, 2026 in New Holland, PA after a brief illness. She was 96. Born on April 6, 1930 in Fullerton CA, Clarice was the fourth of six children of Reese Elmer Pratt and Lena Mae (Fleming) Pratt. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Dwane Prescott, and her son, Jonathan Jobe. She is survived by children Daniel Jobe, Carol Prescott and Deanna Jane (Prescott) Forgette; loving grandchildren Alexander Forgette, Nicholas Forgette, Spencer Forgette, Katharine Forgette and Annalyse Jobe; siblings Loretta (Pratt) Rice and Thomas Pratt; and numerous nieces and nephews. Clarice lived in Southern California until retiring in 1991 after 36 years teaching in the Garden Grove school district. She was valedictorian of Anaheim High School (class of 1948), earned a B.A. with honors from Pasadena College (now Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA), and then an M.A. in Special Education from Chapman College (now University, in Orange, CA). She was dedicated to her career as a special education teacher and developed innovative methods, such as having second-graders practice spelling new words by reproducing them on a manual typewriter. She also taught English as a second language through adult education programs. In their retirement, Clarice and Dwane moved to Prescott AZ (named after historian William Prescott, a distant relative). They became avid RVers, taking extended trips to explore the U.S. During a visit to friends in New Holland, they toured Garden Spot Village and within a few days decided to relocate, moving to GSV in 2010. Clarice had considerable creative talent, which she applied to making artwork with watercolors, pastels and colored pencils, as well as crocheting and knitting. She delighted in sewing matching outfits for her daughters and later her granddaughters (to their chagrin), as well as creating elaborate Halloween costumes for her grandsons. Her students enjoyed her colorful classroom displays that changed monthly and included characters such as a 6-foot Big Bird, made from thousands of pieces of yellow tissue paper. At GSV, she was active in the Art Guild and continued to paint and display her artwork until last year. Clarice and Dwane were longtime members of the Church of the Nazarene, where Dwane was church organist for 60+ years. In New Holland, they joined the Community Church at Garden Spot Village, where Clarice often served as a greeter. She was fond of meeting new residents and introduced herself by saying “Clarice, rhymes with Paris.” Clarice was energetic and enjoyed being physically active. Until her recent illness, she swam five times a week, often arriving at the pool when it opened at 6 a.m. She was proud of her participation in the GSV marathon. Her first few years she walked the 10K, switching to the 5K in her late 80s and continuing into her early 90s. Clarice was known for her positive attitude and bright smile, both of which she kept until her final days.

Friends & Family