Priscilla Deane

Priscilla Deane [Freund] passed away on October 31, 2024 with the grace and dignity exhibited her entire life. She was with family by her side at Linda Manor Assisted Living in Leeds, MA, where she had lived for two and half years. Pris was a Leeds resident for 50 years. Born to Miriam Grover and Julian Lowry Deane in Hartford, CT, she came home to big brother, James, who had wished for a younger sister. Five years later, Priscilla accompanied her mother to Reno, Nevada where her mother needed to reside briefly to obtain a divorce. Priscilla remembered that trip as the first time she rode a pony and often reflected with awe in the strength of her mother, who made that trip a “vacation” for her young daughter, never letting on to the difficulties she was going through herself. Priscilla exhibited that same strength, resilience and selflessness throughout her own life.
Miriam moved with her children to Washington, DC where Pris would do most of her growing up. Her mother worked at the Pentagon as a secretary and the family of three lived in a small one-bedroom apartment with a Murphy bed in the living room. Priscilla escaped the hot Washington summers by spending time with beloved aunts in both Brattleboro and Pomfret, VT, in a 1776 cottage they called Crossways. This would be Priscilla’s haven for the next 80 years. She cherished these summers, but also loved school. She was a favorite among her teachers and peers, even keeping up a long-distance friendship with her grammar school principal for years.
As a boarding student at the age of fourteen, Priscilla attended MacDuffie School for Girls in Springfield, MA. It was here that she met her best friend for life. Her trustworthiness earned her the role of Senior Prefect, and she again developed a strong connection to the school’s headmaster, becoming a part of his family which extended long after her graduation in 1946. Priscilla attended Swarthmore College briefly, taking two years off to teach preschool at the Bement School in Old Deerfield, MA. She returned to college at Smith in Northampton, MA, and It was during this time that she met Donald Freund on a train. In 1952, Priscilla graduated from Smith, they married and moved to Philadelphia, PA where Don was in the midst of his residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Priscilla taught at the Springside School in Chestnut Hill, and in the summer, they worked as counselors at Blueberry Cove Camp in Maine. As she continued to surround herself with children, her first two daughters were born.
In 1958, the family moved to Northampton where Donald opened a medical practice and Priscilla enjoyed her role as mother and homemaker. They welcomed two additional daughters and built a home on Ward Avenue. Always the hostess, Pris threw lavish dinner parties, sewed matching outfits for her four daughters and was known to make the very best apple pies and crisps.
Priscilla became an active part of the Northampton community, serving on the board of directors at Children’s Aid and Family Service (CAFS) and eventually becoming a 3-term Board President. She was a member of the PTO of the Smith College Day (Campus) School, which each of her children attended. She was instrumental in a fight against the relocation of Route 9 in Northampton in 1972, earning her an appointment to the Northampton Planning Board.
Pris was a loving, involved mother who supported all of her daughters’ endeavors, even adding two horses and a barn to the backyard and becoming their biggest cheerleader at horse shows, piano and ballet recitals. She shared her joy of the beach in Rockport and on Block Island with her family.
Following her divorce from Donald in 1974, Priscilla shouldered the burden of single parenthood admirably. She built a new home for her smaller family in Leeds. She joined the staff at Children’s Aid and Family Service to help older and special needs children find permanency through adoption. While working and raising her daughters, she obtained her MSW degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She continued her work at CAFS throughout the remainder of her career, moving up to Director of Placement Services and helping hundreds of children find their forever families. Following her retirement in 1999, Priscilla continued working part-time, then as an independent contractor for CAFS into her eighties. During her time at CAFS she became a foster mother on two formal occasions, and often came home with a “weekend guest” in need of emergency respite.
As grandchildren arrived, Pris doted on them the same way she had her children, with trips to museums, concerts and plays and throwing themed birthday parties, and even a “Miss Manners” party, a fun way to teach proper etiquette to the next generation.
Devoted siblings, Jim and Priscilla shared their retirement years together on Audubon Road, watching wildlife and bluebirds outside their windows. They took frequent trips to Crossways, as well as traveling throughout the East coast and to Europe. Priscilla tended her flower garden with loving care. Even as advanced age and dementia set in, she could be found in the yard weeding and picking up sticks and acorns.
Pris and Jim relocated together to Linda Manor when they were no longer safe at home. After Jim’s passing three months later, Pris remained the “perfect hostess” to all, offering a seat to visitors, staff and other residents passing by her room. At Linda Manor, she was surrounded by caring aides and nurses, as well as music every day provided by the activities staff who she had come to know and love. She cherished the days when Sarah the Fiddler came to perform, and they developed a unique bond. Sarah even played her some private tunes in her final days.
Priscilla retained her graciousness right up until the end, saying to her son-in-law the night before she passed, “What can I do for you?”
Priscilla is survived by her beloved daughters, Alison LaVallee (Armand) of Charlotte, North Carolina, Melinda Schneider of Pittsfield, MA, Pamela Starr (Curtis) of Ware, MA and Jennifer Schmittlein (Jeffrey) of Easthampton, MA. She leaves grandchildren Matthew and Jeffrey Schneider and Paige Schmittlein, as well as step grand-daughters, Kailee (Schmittlein) Littrell and Danielle Schmittlein and a gaggle of great-grandchildren. She also leaves her half-sister, Susan Deane Miller of Poughkeepsie, NY. Her family would like to express gratitude for devoted cousins, Karen (Parks) Alterisio, Richard Deane and Michael Deane, to caregivers, Robin Forsythe-Mias and Melissa Miller, and to the incredible staff of Linda Manor, who became family, sharing memories and love with us through tears when Priscilla departed this earth.
Donations may be made to the United Way of Franklin Hampshire Region ( https://uw-fh.org ) Northampton, MA, which supports the human service field Priscilla loved. There will be an announcement for a Celebration of Life in the spring.