Arthur Pryor

Arthur Pryor is of another world since last Saturday. After a year-long fight he died where he was born 75 years ago in his beloved Austin, Texas. He loved life. “He drank of life’s fullness…..took all it could give.” He never married. Why should he? He was loved by all who knew him...and that was a vast number of friends. Arthur was president of his Senior Class at Austin High School. He attended the University of Texas where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He fought in two wars…the Korean War in which he was wounded three times and the Alcoholic war. He fought it hard and defeated it. Then for the rest of his life he was a valuable member of the Northland Suburban Alcoholics Anonymous where he helped others win their battles. There was another almost fatal battle. On a foggy night outside of Rockport, Texas, where he was selling bayside lots, he crashed into a large tree. The doctor at the Corpus Christi hospital said, “He will not survive even if he does regain consciousness.” Thirty minutes later Arthur said, “Watch Me.” Watched he was for two years. He was 6 foot 2 inches when he hit the tree. He was five foot 9 for the rest of his life. He was months and months in sultry beds in a body cast at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio followed by more and more treatment at the Veterans Hospital in Temple. After recovery he joined his mother, Mary, who was attempting to run the Cactus Theatre after his father’s death. The theatre soon sold but then Arthur found his lifelong passion, searching for liquid gold. He found it, he lost it. He dreamed it, he loved it. He never hated it. Many more dry drills than wet ones. The dream…the consummate dream. It fed him. He was Mary and “Skinny” Pryors’ most fascinating child in many ways. Brothers Wally, Bill, Cactus, sisters Mary Alice and Harriett would so attest. Services will be held at Riverbend Church Chapel at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, 2005. The Kyle Sisters and other friends and kinfolks will provide music. The Reverend Gordon Smith will officiate the services. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts be made to Northland Suburban A.A., 2809 Northland, Austin, Texas 78757. A short time after Arthur had been told the end was near he sang to the family in the room. He sang an old military, ribald song. It was pure Arthur in spirit.