William Nixon Prigge

William Nixon Prigge 85, died on March 4, 2026, at his home on Lower Troy Road in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, surrounded by family. This is where he was most at peace. Known as Bill to most of the people with whom he worked, Nick to his parents and family, and Papa to his four boys.

He was born August 24, 1940, to Alan Taylor Prigge and Charlotte Nixon Prigge in White Plains, New York. He lived in Northport, Long Island, for most of his childhood. In 1956, at the start of eleventh grade at Northport High School, Papa met his lifetime sweetheart, Kirsten Olsen, when her family moved to Northport.

Papa attended Amherst College, graduating in 1962 with a BA in History. He married Kirsten on September 1, 1962, and they moved to Bethesda, Maryland, to attend Georgetown University Law School. He was a full-time student for the first year and subsequently attended night courses for three years while at the same time working at GEICO insurance company, where he learned to use a dictation machine, and then at the Department of the Navy’s Bureau of Ships, where he learned to write concisely for senior leaders. He graduated with an LLB in May 1966, joined the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars, and for the next year he clerked for Montgomery, Maryland, Circuit Court Justice Plummer M. Shearin.

In May 1967, one month before Kirsten delivered their first son, they moved to Fitzwilliam, where Papa resided for the rest of his life. In July 1967, he joined the law firm of Goodnow, Arwe, and Ayer in Keene, becoming a partner himself in 1973. Over his fifty-three years with the firm, he welcomed new partners as others retired or moved on before retiring himself in August 2020. He took great pride in serving his clients' needs, assisting them to purchase property, start and operate businesses, handle tax issues, and manage their estates. He loved the relationships he had with his clients and his ability to serve them through practicing law.

In addition to the practice of law, Papa’s life epitomized a dedication to public service in a wide variety of roles. He served the town of Fitzwilliam as the town moderator from 1970 until 2023, applying a modified form of Roberts Rules of Order to guide the frequently spirited discussions at the annual town meeting on the second Tuesday of March. He served the legal profession as a member and governor-at-large of the New Hampshire Bar Association and as a special justice in Jaffrey District Court for over thirty years. He served the New Hampshire Supreme Court Attorney Discipline System, first on the Professional Conduct Committee (1977-1984), and then on the Committee on Character and Fitness (1985-1995). He also served as an attorney for the Monadnock School Board. His calm leadership and unique sense of humor earned him life-long friendships from these activities.

Perhaps nothing exemplified Papa's dedication to public service more than his role as a firefighter. Firefighting was a passion that began during high school when he served for several years in the Northport Fire Department Smokeaters, a junior firefighting program. He was especially proud of his fifty-six years of service as a first responder and EMT in the Fitzwilliam Volunteer Fire Department (FFD). He served as its chief for twenty years, for several years as deputy chief, and was elected to serve on the town’s Board of Fire Wards for thirty-five years. He also joined the Meadowood County Area Fire Department in 1972 and served on its Board of Directors for more than fifty years. Christmas dinners and other family occasions were often interrupted by a Mutual Aid call for a chimney fire or car accident. Papa was always out the door in his bunker gear before the dispatcher had finished reading the alarm.

His love of family motivated him to accomplish as much as he did. He believed that actions speak louder than words, and his profound love for each of us was expressed through hands-on playfulness, protection and provision. He was always present at our athletic events, performances, or other special occasions. The members of his large family never cease to proudly wear his FFD shirts.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Kirsten, of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire; his older brother Charles A. “Chuck” Prigge, of Keene, New Hampshire; his four sons Christopher N. Prigge of Leavenworth, Kansas; Sean T. Prigge and his wife Stasia of Severna Park, Maryland; Eric O. Prigge and his wife, Marissa, of Richmond, New Hampshire; and Matthew W. Prigge, and his wife, Becky, of Stow, Massachusetts; his seventeen grandchildren, Ashley G. (Prigge) Monnington of Leavenworth, Kansas; Erica R. (Prigge) Grabill of Noida, India; Victoria O. (Prigge) Harpt of Olathe, Kansas; Heather N. Prigge, Christopher N. Prigge II, Johnathan T. Prigge, Andrew M. Prigge, Sarah E. Prigge, Stephen R. Prigge, and Caroline F. Prigge of Leavenworth, Kansas; Alexander T. Prigge of San Diego, California; Ethan T. Prigge of Indianapolis, Indiana; Eliza B. Prigge and William P. Prigge of Severna Park, Maryland; Lillian H. Prigge, a student at Arizona State University; Isabel M. Prigge, a student in the nursing program at Mount Wachusett Community College; and Esther T. Prigge, a student at the University of New Hampshire; and his six great-grandchildren Charlotte E. Monnington, Joshua T. Monnington II, Abigail R. Grabill, Elijah E. Grabill, Andrew R. Grabill, and Amber R. Grabill.

Our Family would like to thank the team of caregivers from Home Together Homecare for their faithful, loving and skilled care of our Papa in the home he loved over many, months until his Home-going to be with the Lord. We will be forever grateful,

A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Fitzwilliam Community Church on June 13, 2026, at 1:00pm. All are welcome. Our family looks forward to meeting you and sharing stories at a reception following the service at Stonewall Farm, 242 Chesterfield Road, in Keene, New Hampshire, from 3:15 - 6:15 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations made in William Prigge’s memory to the Fire Rescue and EMS Association of Fitzwilliam Inc, PO Box 443, Fitzwilliam, NH, 03447, or to Sturtevant Chapel, 15 Washington Avenue, Keene, NH 03431.