Gina Prins Prentiss

Gina Prins Prentiss died peacefully on December 8, 2021. She was born in Albany, NY to George Fredric Prins and Mabel Dorn Prins on January 29, 1939. She is predeceased by her sister, Marcie Prins Tischler; her husband of 61 years, Bard Van Woert Prentiss; and her son, George H. Prentiss (Debra Wilkinson Prentiss). She is survived by children Marcie (Kenneth Mann) of Jamesville, NY, Jared (Lisa Prentiss) of Falmouth, ME and Mariah (Michele Hochstetter) of Ithaca, NY; and grandchildren Caroline, Ruby and Joshua and nieces and nephews. Gina grew up and graduated from high school in Castleton on Hudson, NY. She went to Green Mountain College in Vermont and later earned a BA in History from Regents College of New York. Her lifelong love of local history and commitment to preservation began as a child where she was steeped in the rich Dutch history of the Hudson Valley. Gina and Bard moved to Dryden in 1966 and fell in love with the area and its people. A founding member of Dryden Historical Society in 1981, Gina devoted four decades to preserving and promoting Dryden’s heritage through education and architectural preservation. She held positions from committee member to President, and was perhaps most excited by bringing the stories of the people and places of Dryden’s past to the community through her work on the Exhibit and Program Committees. She loved her days spent sharing her enthusiasm with fourth graders delving into the local history curriculum she developed. Her knowledge of, and love for, Dryden and its history were extraordinary. It was important to Gina that larger county history and preservation organizations not forget the villages of Tompkins County as part of their mission. She brought her tireless advocacy to her time on the Boards of Directors of the DeWitt Historical Society and Historic Ithaca. For three decades Gina volunteered weekly for the DeWitt Historical Society’s, now the History Center of Tompkins County, photographic collection. Gina was honored as the 2017 recipient of Historic Ithaca’s Joseph O. Ciaschi Award for Preservation Excellence. Gina brought the same enthusiasm to everything she cared about. She was an avid gardener, her home and yard were always filled with plants and blooms. Gina knew the Latin name of every plant and was happy to share her plants and her knowledge. She and Bard collected daylilies and had a species named after them, "Bard and Gina”. She and Bard cared deeply about community resources like the James Schug Trail for which they wrote the nature and historical trail signage. There were few more community minded than Gina. She valued public service and supported community efforts, and was a true advocate for the town of Dryden. Through her efforts she touched many lives. The family wishes to thank the great nurses, doctors, aides, and staff on the 3rd floor at Cayuga Medical Center for the care they provided Gina and to the wonderful staff at Hospicare who cared so kindly for her. Gifts may be made in Gina’s name to the Dryden Town Historical Society, 14 North St, Dryden, NY 13053. A Celebration of Life will be announced in the Spring.

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