Philip Prince; War Hero, Former 42-Year Resident

Philip Prince, a well-known builder and architect, and former longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died on May 27 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He was 85. Born to Irving Hudson Prince and Mary Potter Prince on August 16, 1923, in Los Angeles, Philip graduated from Los Angeles High School and Stanford University. At Stanford, he was a champion badminton player and a member of the basketball, track and soccer teams. During World War II, Prince served in the U.S. Army Infantry. After basic training in Arkansas, he attended Lehigh University, where he studied engineering. When the program was discontinued, he became a member of the 84th Infantry Division, which was stationed in England before landing at Omaha Beach a few weeks after D-Day in June 1944. During the battle of the Siegfried Line in Germany, Prince was taken prisoner of war on November 19, 1944. In May 1945, he and other prisoners escaped to the American lines in northern Germany. He was awarded two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. Returning to Stanford after the war, Prince earned a master’s degree in structural engineering and entered the construction industry as a general contractor and architect. He specialized in residential construction, building over 100 individual homes on contract and for speculation in Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and Bel-Air. At Stanford, Prince met his future wife, Barbara Lee Cooper. They married in 1947, and enjoyed a very special and loving partnership for over 60 years. They lived in Pacific Palisades for 42 years before moving to Lake Oswego to be near their grandchildren. When living in the Palisades, Prince served on the Palisades-Malibu YMCA board, and was a member of the Bel-Air Bay Club for over 80 years (his father being one of the club’s founding members). His sons attended St. Matthew’s School and Palisades High School. Survivors include his wife Barbara; sons Richard (wife Julie) of Tualatin, Oregon and William (wife Salenna) of Vienna, Virginia; and grandchildren Jennifer, Diana, Christian and Andrew. He was predeceased by granddaughter Joanna. He will be missed forever. There will be no service, per his request. The family suggests that remembrances may be sent to the American Red Cross.