Frank Pritchard

Jamestown, RI - Frank C. Pritchard, 84, of Windsor Street, Jamestown, formerly of Portsmouth, the first civilian public affairs officer at the former Newport Naval Base and later at its successor command, the Naval Education and Training Center NETC, died Sunday, March 29th at home surrounded by his loving family after a long illness.A Pawtucket native, he was the husband of Helene Sylvander Pritchard and worked as a reporter for the Pawtucket Evening Times for 17 years. In 1967, he was appointed public affairs officer at the Naval Base, where he won two Navy meritorious civilian service awards.At NETC, he served for 11 years before retiring in 1985, and won a special Navy merit award for an article he wrote for the commands weekly newspaper, The Newport Navalog. Pritchard founded the Navy Public Affairs Officers Assn. of RI in 1970 and served as its president for many years. The son of the late Frank and Lilly Greenwood Pritchard, he served as president of the Pawtucket Newspaper Guild for four years and held several other positions in that organization while working at the Times. A World War II veteran of the Marine Corps, he retired from the RI Army National Guard as a captain in 1969.Pritchard graduated from the former Pawtucket West now Shea High School in 1942 and the University of Rhode Island in 1949. He also briefly attended the University of Missouris Graduate School of Journalism. Before moving to Portsmouth, he resided in Pawtucket and Cumberland for several years. He was a member of St. Marys Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, and the Newport Rotary Club. Besides his widow, he is survived by one son, David C. Pritchard of Jamestown; two daughters Christine A. Pritchard of Moss Beach, CA and Lisa C. Pritchard of Middletown; six grandchildren, Evan and Leah Rosin-Pritchard, Niki and Ari Pritchard-Bell, Kai Dolbashian and Oona Pritchard; and several cousins. The family wishes to express their gratitude to all those who helped to care for Frank during the past 11 months.Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, March 31 from 5-8pm in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. In lieu of flowers, donations may e made in his name to Home and Hospice Care of RI, 169 George Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860, V.N.S. of Newport and Bristol County, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871 or to Vanderbilt Rehab Center at Newport Hospital, 20 Powell Avenue, Newport, RI 02840.