Joseph Lafayette Prior

CINCINNATI - Joseph LaFayette Prior, age 84, died June 5, 2019 of prostate cancer. He was the devoted husband of Ann Ballantyne Prior (nee Atkins), loving father of Julie (Paul) Bauer, Martin Prior, and Fritz (Tricia) Prior, and adoring grandfather to his seven grandsons - Oliver, Zachary, Jakob, Paxton, Fritz, Cameron and Otto. Born May 4, 1935, to the late Martin and Bernice Prior, brother of the late Janet Greenwald. Joe is also survived by brother-in-laws, John (Barbara) Atkins and Edmund Greenwald, Aunt Fay Young, many cousins, nieces, nephews and loyal friends. Joe was a proud 1953 Hughes High School Graduate. He earned his BS in Education from the University of Cincinnati  in 1957, where he was a Football manager and member of Acacia fraternity. He completed his college career with a MS in Education from the University of Colorado Boulder. He devoted his career to helping others - working as a teacher and guidance counselor in Cincinnati Public Schools, and loved working with the students and faculty at his alma mater, Hughes High School. He treasured his summers spent “up north” on the shores of Mullett Lake, Michigan, at the family cottage. He was the ever grateful recipient of one of the first corneal transplants in Cincinnati, in 1964. No services. Joe donated his body to the University of Cincinnati, for research. Memorials to Cincinnati Eye Bank, 4015 Executive Park Drive Suite 330, Cincinnati, 45241 (eyebank@cintieb.org <mailto:eyebank@cintieb.org>), and the Brown County Humane Society P.O Box 228 Georgetown, OH 45121 (www.bchsohio.org <http://www.bchsohio.org>) www.vittstermeranderson.com