William Wright Prince

William Wright (Bill) Prince, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, entered into heaven on August 28, 2026 and is with his Savior.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy Ryan Prince; his son, Bryan W. Prince, and wife, Alexis H. Prince; his granddaughter, Olivia Eva Prince (5); his daughter, Sarah E. Prince, and husband, Alex Michshenko; and his grandson, James Pierce Michshenko (3). He is also survived by his brother, Barry F. Prince, and wife, Ann Prince; his nephews, Todd Prince and wife, Jill, and Eric Prince and wife, Amanda; and his great-nieces, Abigail and Lucy Prince.

Bill is a member of Signal Crest United Methodist Church. He was formerly a member of Southold Presbyterian Church with his father, Frederick C. Prince, and attended Quaker meetings with his mother, Helen W. Prince.

Bill graduated from Westtown School in Pennsylvania, earned his BS from Lafayette College, MA in Asian Studies from Indianna University, later an MLS from Indiana University. Following his service in the U.S. Army, began his career teaching high school history. Upon earning his MLS, Bill began working as a reference librarian at Virginia Tech. Where he was promoted to Head of Reference, a position he held at SUNY Buffalo, and then spent 30 years in that role at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Among his professional and community achievements, Bill earned the rank of Professor, received the Lupton Library Dean’s Award, and was honored with the University of Tennessee Service Award. He served as President of the Chattanooga Area Library Association, was a member of the American Library Association, and served as President of Chattanooga Sister Cities.

An avid outdoorsman, Bill played tennis with the Signal Mountain Tennis Club and at Manker Patten, kayaked the Ocoee River, paddle boarded on the Mississippi River, and was a member of several hiking and walking groups.

His friendly attitude, willingness to help, and many years of service enriched his community and the lives of those around him. He was a dependable friend, a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a loving grandfather. His family will cherish the memories they shared with him and the lasting impact he had on their lives.

DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold is serving the family.

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