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Harold Prugh, 95; Was Director of Physical Activities at Glendale YMCA for 19 Years
June 13, 2003|From a Times Staff Writer

Harold Prugh, a leader of the Glendale YMCA for nearly 50 years who also served as an official for the U.S. Volleyball Assn., has died. He was 95.

Prugh died Saturday at a convalescent hospital in Glendale of complications from a stroke he had suffered in May.

An active, vital man well into his 90s, Prugh was the director of physical activities for the Glendale Y for 19 years before retiring in 1973. He continued to teach tennis and badminton and to raise money for the Y until his illness in May.

At the Glendale Y, he was well known for creating innovative athletic programs. He launched a citywide youth baseball league that attracted hundreds of youngsters, with a proviso that each child play at least two innings in each game, regardless of the score. The requirement would be adopted by many Little League baseball programs.

Away from the Y, Prugh officiated volleyball matches for Los Angeles city high schools and the Manhattan Beach summer volleyball tournament well into his 80s. He also served for many years as an official for the U.S. Volleyball Assn.'s tournaments and intercollegiate matches and officiated at the 1964 Olympic trials for women.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Prugh earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, where he also earned athletic letters in basketball, tennis and track. He later earned a master's degree from Columbia University in New York.

He worked at YMCAs in Dayton; Buffalo, N.Y.; Pittsburgh; Williamport, Pa.; and Omaha before coming to Southern California.

Prugh was physical director of the YMCA in downtown Los Angeles for several years in the 1950s before moving on to Glendale in 1954.

He is survived by his sons Jeff of San Clemente and Vince of Durango, Colo., and two grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Glendale Presbyterian Church.

The family suggests that those wishing to make memorial contributions do so to the YMCA of Glendale, 140 N. Louise St., Glendale, CA 91206.

Paul_Averly wrote:Jeff Prugh Died in 2009, was around the age of Ross and also lived in Glendale.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/11 ... ff-prugh11

However, his brother Vince Prugh of Durango, Colo. seems to have lived in San Francisco at some point.

Barry S. wrote:

Paul_Averly wrote:Jeff Prugh Died in 2009, was around the age of Ross and also lived in Glendale.
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/11 ... ff-prugh11

However, his brother Vince Prugh of Durango, Colo. seems to have lived in San Francisco at some point.

Vince was a senior investigator for the San Francisco County District Attorney's office. Someone should contact him. Bet he'd recall a lot about Ross if he had any contact.

From article on Jeff's death:

"The timing of that couldn't have been better. It was so fortunate for him," said Vince Prugh, who is retired from the San Francisco district attorney's office. "It was so much fun for him. If you're any kind of basketball fan, it was ecstasy after ecstasy."

From Hoover High (Glendale, CA):

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Pic from 2013:

2307a.jpg

Skyward wrote:His boss from the RCC library exists, yes? Still works there in fact? Co- workers who worked in Seventies in Santa Cruz area would be hard to find. A classified notice might get you a needle in a haystack, otherwise the library and the yearbooks are the way to go....