|
3.20.2003
Chris Prouty, 34; kind, funny, loved cars
When Chris Prouty was about 11, he got an award as the most unselfish
player on his basketball team. In the dedication, his coaches credited
his "willingness to learn" and his improving defensive skills
as a major reason behind a winning season.
His generosity was a trait that defined Christopher Karnig "Squiggy"
Prouty as an adult.
"If he had a hundred dollars and you needed a hundred and ten, he'd
go out and borrow the other ten," says John J. Speranza, owner of
Real Deal Auto Sales and Service in Uxbridge, where Chris worked.
Just last week, Chris sold a Mustang and gave the customer back $20 of
the sale price. "He said, 'Here, the first tank of gas is on me.'
"
Tall, handsome, and funny, Chris was a ladies man, Speranza says.
He "wore his emotions on his sleeve," Speranza says. "If
he liked you . . . there was nothing he wouldn't do for you."
Speranza says he had only known Chris for about a year, but it seemed
like a lifetime. He bought and sold automobiles for Speranza, bringing
to the job the expertise of a certified mechanic.
"He was a smart guy. He was gifted . . . the computerized end of
things . . and he loved it," Speranza says.
And a deal he sealed with a handshake was just as good as a written contract.
"When something went his way, he would put his fingers together
and go, 'Excellent,' just like Mr. Burns on The Simpsons," Speranza
says
Chris, 34, had two sets of friends, a whole "family" of them
in central Massachusetts and another -- the ones he grew up with -- in
Rhode Island.
Chris loved video games so much that his Massachusetts friends called
him "the gamer." He had to have the latest release the moment
it came out, Speranza says.
That he loved cars almost went without saying. In his garage on Walcott
Street in Pawtucket, he left an old Camaro primed and ready for a paint
job.
His mother, Nancy A. Lee, says she will make sure it is painted the canary
yellow Chris wanted.
-- Gina Macris
Sign
the Guest Book for Christopher Prouty
Share
your thoughts and condolences for all of those lost
|
