Obituary of Frank J. Prial

Frank J. Prial of South Orange, N.J., died on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. He was 82 and will be missed by his wife, Jeanne; his three sons, Frank, Mark and Dunstan, their wives, Ardith, Patricia and Amy, and his seven grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia Prial, and his brother, Donald. A gathering of remembrance will be held Sunday, Nov. 11, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Ave., South Orange, N.J. The family will hold an event in New York City in the near future to celebrate his life. Frank was a writer whose best stories conveyed a joy for life. Often that joy was shared over a bottle of good cheap wine. He had a knack for storytelling and a deft sense of humor. His prose, which most often appeared in his beloved New York Times, was crisp and alive. After reading him you wanted to meet him. He loved to travel. It fed his curiosity. Paris was a favorite destination. He knew New York City as well as anyone. He was a proud graduate of St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J., where donations should be sent for those inclined.