Tom Tave Pryor II, age 78, was peacefully called home on the morning of September 15, 2024, at Newton Medical Center in Newton, KS. He had a wonderfully rich life full of relationships and
exceptional experiences. Tom was born in La Junta, Colorado to Tom T. and Freida Mae (Deacon) Pryor. He was the youngest child with an older sister, Priscilla. He grew up in La Junta where he was a state champion wrestler
in junior high school. He graduated from La Junta High School in 1963 then attended Otero Junior College for a couple of years. In 1965 he was drafted into the Army to serve in the Vietnam War. He was sent to Korea where he
was a company clerk. When Tom returned home, he married Sandra Jean (Watts) in 1968. They lived in Lynwood, California and he worked in the factory for Firestone Tire & Rubber. Together they welcomed a daughter. Soon after,
they moved to Loveland, CO where he worked in home contracting as an electrician. Tom's love for bowling then began and he played on several bowling leagues. After their divorce, Tom moved back to La Junta and married
Sandra (Menges) in 1976. He landed a job working for the Santa Fe Railroad in 1977 where he continued as an electrician. The job moved them to Newton, Kansas where he spent his remaining years. Together, they welcomed a son
and a daughter. In 1988 he took a buyout from the Santa Fe which allowed him to start his own business, Pryor Electric. He owned and operated that business with his wife for over 20 years. He sold the business and retired
in 2012. Tom didn't know a stranger. He was the life of the party and brought joy and laughter to everyone he knew. In his later years he enjoyed going to car shows and taking one or more of his classic cars - a '57
Chevy 4-door hardtop, '61 Corvette, his childhood dream car, '31 Ford Coup and a new 2021 Corvette Stingray he bought after a winning lottery ticket. For the past few years, every morning you could count on seeing
him up early socializing ... erm, working out at the Newton YMCA followed by golfing with friends in the afternoon. Tom will be dearly missed by all his friends and relatives. He was loved by his children Casi Nicole, of Jersey
City, NJ, Tave (Erin) Pryor, of Newton and Brandi (Brandon) Lies of Newton. Tom also leaves behind nine grandchildren Caleb, Mason and Grace Wilkerson; Savannah (Ben) Wild, Aspen and Pyper Pryor, Keaton Benedick; Sterling
and Paisley Lies; two great-grandchildren, Canton Wild and Aspen Rae (with two more greats on the way); two nieces Terri Fagan of La Junta, Christine (Delbert) Fairchild of Sedgwick, Kansas and a nephew Alan (Jennifer) Swann
of San Clemente, California. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister and nephew, Charles Swann. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, September 28 at Koerner Heights Church in Newton. Memorial gifts
are suggested for the American Cancer Society or Newton Medical Center in honor of Tom and the wonderful care he received while there. The family has entrusted Affordable Cremations Plus in Wichita to assist them.
