VOORHEESVILLE — Robert G. “Bob” Prentiss, a former New York State Assemblyman, died peacefully at his home on Friday, March 18, 2022, after a three-year battle with Alzheimer’s. He was five days short of his 86th birthday.

Born on March 23,1936 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late Doris and James Prentiss. 

He graduated from Pittsfield High School early at the young age of 17 and enlisted in the United States Marines Corps, serving his country for three years during the Korean War. 

Thanks to the G.I. Bill, Mr. Prentiss was able to attend college. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor of arts degree in government, finishing the four-year course requirements in only two-and-a-half years.

He then earned his master’s degree in journalism from the State University of Iowa where he held a teaching assistantship. He was certified to teach English and social studies at the secondary-school level in both New York and Massachusetts.

Mr. Prentiss started his career as a newspaper reporter for The Berkshire Eagle and then was news editor for The Springfield Union in Massachusetts. He taught journalism at Ohio State University, and served as a public relations officer for MacMurray College in Illinois, the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, and the State University of New York, as well as for Assembly Speaker Perry Duryea, the last Republican to hold that job. He was also the director of public relations for St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.

For more than 25 years, he owned and operated three franchises under Prentiss Personnel Services that he founded with his late wife, Marlene.

Mr. Prentiss proudly served in elective public office for more than 33 years. He was a city councilman-at-large in his hometown of Pittsfield later moving to Colonie where he served 19 years as an Albany County Legislator. He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1994 where he served 10 years.

“Bob had a reputation for being a tenacious campaigner,” his family wrote in a tribute. “He would head out on the campaign trail with his children and the neighborhood kids, handing out fliers. He was extremely passionate about serving his community, he loved going door to door, getting to know his constituents and making their needs a priority. He always said, ‘People Come First!’”

Mr. Prentiss was a member of several local organizations, including the Colonie Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8692, the Capt. William Dale O’Brien Detachment of the Marine Corps League, American Legion 1450 in Halfmoon, Colonie Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 2192, Korean War Veterans Association, Fuller Road Volunteer Fire Department, Colonie and New Scotland Kiwanis clubs, and the New Scotland Historical Society.

He was a parishioner at St. Matthew’s Church in Voorheesville where he sang in the church choir. 

“During the summer months,” his family wrote, “Bob would spend time with family at his camp on Harrisburg Lake where he could be heard singing ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ on his way down to the beach to watch the sunset with a martini in his hand and his black lab, Shadow, by his side. 

“After retiring, Bob and Marlene started a new venture, Prentiss Antiques, buying and selling treasures at different shows around the Northeast. 

“Bob was always on the go. He and Marlene loved to travel with their children, Lisa and Roger, when they were young, visiting almost every state in the U.S. 

“Bob and Marlene were married in 1968 and shared 42 wonderful years together before she passed away in 2010. 

“He was so fortunate and blessed to have met Anna Cavanaugh Newbould in 2011 at a ballroom dancing event and they married in 2013.”

Mrs. Prentiss recalled their Aug. 5, 2011 meeting in the Pine Hills area of Albany. “It was a rainy Friday night. I almost didn’t even want to go,” she said, but she didn’t want to disappoint her friend Joan who’d invited her.

At the event, the men were lined up on one side of the room and the women on the other; “it reminded me of high school, actually,” Mrs. Prentiss said with a laugh. After being taught a few steps and dancing with each person for a minute or so, the men and women retreated back to their respective sides.

Afterward, Mr. Prentiss approached her and asked her to dance, she said, and “we stayed together the whole night.” But he did not ask for her phone number. That call wouldn’t come for another couple of weeks, when Mr. Prentiss reached out to the dance teacher who reached out to Joan who reached out to Mrs. Prentiss.

And, when Mr. Prentiss did call asking her to dinner and a movie, he left a voicemail with both his home and mobile number and he repeated each number twice, “so there was no way I could miss one of the two numbers.”

Mrs. Prentiss said she and her husband had “ten-and-half wonderful, wonderful years” together, they had their health, and he had “such a loving family that welcomed me.”

They vacationed often, visiting family and friends all over. They went to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone and he was able to travel one last time to see Pearl Harbor in February 2020 just before the pandemic set in.. 

“Family meant everything to Bob,” the tribute said. “It brought him great joy watching his grandchildren grow up and he would always attend their ball games, dance recitals, plays, and performances. 

“Bob was a vigorous and energetic person who approached every day enthusiastically. He truly lived life to its fullest.  He touched the lives of a lot of people for the better.”

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Robert G. Prentiss is survived by his wife, Anna Cavanaugh Newbould Prentiss; by his children, Lisa Galasso and her husband, Leonard, and Roger Prentiss and his girlfriend, Nicolle Otty; by his grandchildren, Donnie Prentiss, Dylan Prentiss, Anthony and Adriana Galasso; by Anna’s children, David Doherty, and Alicia Doherty Boaz and her husband, Jeff; and by his grandchildren, Emma, Bradly, and Ryan.

He is also survived by his sisters, Elaine Marchand and her husband, Peter, Jean Munn and her husband, James; by his nieces and nephews, Jamie, Todd, Lori, Gary, Tammi, and their spouses; and by several great nieces and nephews.

His infant brother, Gary James Prentiss, died before him. 

“The family is so thankful for the care Bob received through Community Hospice and extremely grateful for Ed Chesebro, his full-time in-home nurse who went above and beyond giving him the best care possible,” the tribute said. 

His funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 24, at St. Matthew’s Church at 25 Mountainview St. in Voorheesville followed by burial in St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Colonie. Calling hours will be Wednesday, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Reilly & Son Funeral Home at 9 Voorheesville Ave. in Voorheesville.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Community Hospice Foundation, 310 South Manning Blvd., Albany, NY 12208 or The Alzheimer’s Association, Northeastern Chapter at www.alz.org/northeasternny.