Clyde Richard Prouty

Clyde Richard Prouty, 85, passed away peacefully at his home on February 24th, 2017, with family and close friends at his side. Born October 13, 1931, to Benjamin and Etta (Jefts) Prouty, Clyde was the ninth of their 10 children including: Theodore, Raymond, Norman, Ralph, Harold, Donald, Howard, Edna and Mildred. Early on, the Prouty family lived in Manchester, Vermont, and then later moved over the mountain to Rawsonville. Clyde attended Pikes Falls Elementary School, where he first met Clara Kuusela, who would later become his life-long partner. In 1950, Clyde and Clara married and made their home in South Londonderry, where they raised their four children: Steven, Gary, Douglas and Susan. Clyde supported the family by maple sugaring with Scott and Helen Nearing, logging with his brothers and driving truck for Wally Roberts' Logging Company. He established Clyde Prouty & Sons Excavating business in 1955. For years he worked long and hard building a fleet of equipment, training and managing a talented crew of operators (including his sons) and tackling all sorts of jobs all over southern Vermont, while relying on Clara for bookkeeping, scheduling, communications, and care and feeding of their family. Clyde decided to retire from the excavation business. His son Steve took over the family business and Clyde took a position as substitute mail carrier for the US Post Office of South Londonderry. In 1976, Clyde accepted and held the job of full time mail carrier. For 18 years, he drove 62 miles a day, 6 days a week, delivering mail in his hometown, until he finally celebrated official retirement in 1994. During his 'retirement' Clyde also worked tirelessly for his neighbors and community as Road Commissioner and Selectman. In 2011, he was honored by the Town for 47 years of civil service and presented with a Proclamation from the Vermont Legislature for his dedication and accomplishments. As part of their busy and happy life together, Clyde and Clara made time to listen and dance to country-western and bluegrass music, following their favorite singers and musicians from Vermont to Nashville and back several times. They traveled to many Nascar races and thoroughly enjoyed camping and good times with lifelong friends and relatives. Clyde enjoyed deer hunting with the boys and never missed an opportunity to get in the woods or ride around looking for deer. Over the years, their family grew to include their 8 grandchildren: Chad, Taylor, Lynn, Gary Jr., Stacy and Christopher Prouty, Reginald and Brittney Pare' and their 15 great-grandchildren. Clyde is predeceased by his three sons , Steven, Gary and Douglas and son-in-law, Peter VanAlstyne Clara, his wife of 67 years, still lives at their homestead on Melendy Hill in South Londonderry with family and close friends, their daughter Susan VanAlstyne lives nearby. nearby. A celebration of Clyde Prouty's life will be held at the Town Hall, Middletown Road, at 2:00 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad in care of Brewster-Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 885, Manchester Center, VT 05255 A celebration of Clyde Prouty's life will be held at the Town Hall, Middletown Road, at 2:00 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017