Ida Mae Prosky

Ida Mae Prosky, maiden name Hove, was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to Hazel Hove, maiden name Sullivan, and Edward Everett Hove on May 18th 1935. Ida grew up in Arlington Virginia near where her father owned a restaurant. After high school she attended Notre Dame College in Baltimore on a scholarship obtaining a degree in English. She then settled with her mother, Hazel, in Georgetown in the mid 1950s where she worked at Georgetown University and then at The Washington Post. It was at this time that Ida met the actor Robert Prosky, who was a company member at The Arena Stage, on a blind date. They courted, married, settled on Constitution Avenue on Capitol Hill in 1965. There they raised three sons; Stefan, John, and Andrew Prosky who were all grateful that Ida sent them to Gonzaga College High School. For thirteen years Ida taught at Capitol Hill Day School where she established a field trip program utilizing all of the museum and cultural sites of Washington DC as a classroom for the students of CHDS. When her sons went off to college, so did Ida. She attended George Washington University for her graduate degree in anthropology. After graduation, her book on gender studies in the American theater titled “You Don’t Need Four Women to Play Shakespeare” was published and used as a textbook at several college anthropology departments. Her Intellect was only matched by her charity. Ida was instrumental in the establishment of So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.) in DC. She volunteered regularly at S.O.M.E. and at The Hill Center on Capitol Hill along with her churches of St Peters and St Josephs. Ida is survived by her two sons John and Andrew, her daughter-in-law Kimiko Gelman and her deceased son Stefans’ wife Tati Kaupp as well as her three grandchildren Kyle, Joseph, and Violet.

All who knew Ida Prosky, knew her as the definition of love. She was open, empathetic, forgiving, generous, patient, attentive, wise and incredibly kind. She was an amazing listener; Such a good listener that people regularly found themselves admitting personal things without even being aware that they had done so. She was witty, had an easy laugh that would lighten any tense situation and a perpetual twinkle in her green Irish eyes. And …yet, she somehow had the ability to balance all those traits with a quiet and steely strength. She will be sorely missed by her family, her extended families, her friends, and the world. Funeral services will be help at 9am on December 13th at St Joseph Church on Capitol Hill. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to So Others May Eat.