Monday, March 15, 2021 - 9:26 pm
MADRID: Dorothy L. Prosper, 75, of Madrid and formerly Potsdam, passed away Thursday night (March 11, 2021) at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY.
Dot was born January 19, 1946 in Potsdam, to the late E. Stanley and Pauline (Benson) Howlett. She graduated from Potsdam Central School in 1964 and continued her education in Watertown, NY, attending beauty school.
In 1964 she also fell in love with her companion for life John Prosper, and after a short courtship they were married in January of 1965. Shortly down the road they welcomed their first son John II (Elaine) of Chesapeake, Virginia, followed by twin boys Mark (Pendaley) of Suffolk, Virginia and Jeffrey (Sandra) of Norfolk, New York.
James (Jim) Henry Laird June 18, 1924-December 6, 2020
James (Jim) Laird passed away at his home in Ripon, CA on December 6, 2020. He was born in Newcastle, CA to James and Ima Laird on June 18, 1924. He attended Modesto High School and Modesto Junior College.
Jim always had a love of guns, was a founding member of the Modesto Rifle Club, and later he was the president for many years. He earned many national and state awards and trophies for his remarkable shooting ability, besting both young and old. He joined the Marine Corps in WWII, trained as a radio operator in Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 29th Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division, and fought in last great battle of WWII at Okinawa. As a private first class, he shot the highest score in his 1000-man recruit regiment when qualifying with his M1 Garand rifle, which tied the score for the Marine Corps Recruit record. After the war, Jim married the love of his life,