Mary Concetta Prins

Mary Prins passed away at home in Houston on the 28th of April, 2016 after a long and very courageous battle with illness.

Mary was born in Bethlehem, Jerusalem on the 21st of August, 1939. She was the youngest of three children born to Leonard Cadby of England and Carmela Reillo of Italy. Mary grew up in Cairo, Egypt during WWII and moved with her family to Benghazi, Libya where her father was a Colonel in the Long Range Desert Patrol. Colonel Cadby helped to set up a temporary Government in Libya and later became a partner in an Oil Field Contractor Company, there.

Mary went to a very tough and strict boarding school in England, where she was active and very good in many sports. She then attended an Art Academy in London. Mary spent her life painting and drawing, and continued her art studies. Her artistic talents have been passed on to her many grandchildren.

Mary was in Benghazi in 1960 to help look after her mother. At an oilfield retirement party in Benghazi, Mary met her Schlumberger trainee husband-to-be William Prins, who soon after disappeared into the desert for two years to work on the oil rigs. In 1963, Bill chased Mary to London, where she had returned to art school, to propose. A formal three week waiting period was dictated by city regulations in Europe. Bill’s father helped to convince city hall in his hometown in the Netherlands, to “interpret” the regulations and rule in favor of the couple, and Bill and Mary were married on the 3rd of May, 1963. Soon thereafter they left for an oilfield camp, Gach Saran, in Southern Iran for a “honeymoon.”

In December of 1964 Mary gave birth to son, Kevin, in another oilfield camp in Saudi Arabia. The family went to Australia in early 1965 and then to the Netherlands in 1967, where Mary gave birth to son,Taco. A transfer then came for the family to go to Paris, for a short year, and then the family was on their way to Nigeria where Mary gave birth to daughter, Vanessa, in 1970. The family decided to stay together as a family and send the children to the available schools in the countries wherever Bill’s job took them: Egypt in 1971, Indonesia in 1974, Singapore in 1979, France in 1980, Houston in 1982, England in 1989, and the Netherlands in 1993.

Mary looked after the children in a very active, caring and thorough way. The children were always healthy, even in places with limited access to clean water and health care. Mary was very loyal and true to her family and friends. Mary loved animals and was always there to rescue any animal in need. She had a very strong sense of right and wrong and did not hide that opinion when necessary. Mary always helped any person or animal in need wherever she lived. Mary’s cheerful and active disposition was appreciated, and as a result the family has made many lifelong dear friends in all of the many places they have lived.

Upon Bill’s retirement in 1999, Mary and Bill settled in the US and spent lots of time with the children and in particular the eight grandchildren. When son, Kevin, suffered a stroke in 2001, Mary and Bill raised two of their grandchildren in 2001 until 2010, when Mary became seriously ill.

Mary was not very tall, five feet when angry, but had a spirit and love for life which followed her wherever the family went. She was the ultimate and ideal oil field engineer’s wife and companion, exemplary mother and active grandmother (Oma), as well as a feisty, yet gentle patient. Her caregiving nurses loved and admired her.

Mary is survived by her husband; sister and brother-in-law, Ellen and Anton Klaver of Bellingham, WA; her three children and eight grandchildren of Portland, OR and Reno, NV; niece, nephew, and great nephew of Bellingham, WA. And many great friends made all over the globe by this lovely lady. In lieu of customary remembrances the family suggests that memorial contributions can be made in Mary’s name to: Houston Methodist Foundation Neurological Institute c/o Dr. Gustavo C. Roman and Houston Methodist Foundation c/o Dr. Robert E. Jackson.