“It is always a sad time when someone you know passes away,” wrote Ed Rondeau, director of global operations and learning for Conway Data and the International Development Research Council (IDRC) from 1999 to 2003, responding to news that Prentice Knight had passed away.
News of Prentice’s passing came to me from his wife, Linda. She and Prentice had come through Montana, where I live, in October on a long driving adventure from their home in Scottsville, Kentucky. Their travels took them abroad to surfing hotspot El Zonte on El Salvador’s Pacific Coast in early November. Linda reported that Prentice drowned there on November 4.
“Prentice was, to me, always the model of the executive the IDRC needed and benefited from his leadership,” Ed continued. “I met Prentice when I was a relatively new member of IDRC and found him to be approachable and knowledgeable. When he chose to retire from his executive director role at IDRC, there was an outpouring of well wishes and thank you’s for his association service, leadership and growth … And he was active in retirement with workshops at IDRC Summits in North America, Europe and Australia. Later, when CoreNet Global was between executive directors, he answered their leadership call to provide his time and association expertise during the search. Prentice was a good force for IDRC and later CoreNet Global … We will miss him.”
Prentice was more than an outstanding executive with IDRC and CoreNet Global: He earned the admiration of Mac Conway, my father and the founder of Conway Data and Site Selection magazine. Prentice was named president of Conway Data in Spring 1992, when Mac said, “Prentice is a man of rare intellect and creative ability. We have no doubt that we have selected the best man to lead us in the future.”
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Prentice earned his doctorate at the University of Illinois and served as a professor of economic geography at the University of Kansas and Dartmouth College. It was that level of expertise he always brought to the table.
Prentice was among a handful of people in the entire world whom I treasured the most. He made an impact wherever he went, making friends everywhere. He and my late husband Jack Lyne were very close friends. We would get together with Prentice and his wife, Linda, whenever we could. Once Jack and Prentice started telling stories, it wasn’t long before all of us were laughing nonstop.
A memorial service was scheduled in Franklin, Kentucky, at the Franklin Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. on January 17.
Prentice was more than a coworker; he was a true friend and a wonderful human being. We will all miss him.
Laura Lyne is publisher of Site Selection and president of Conway Data, Inc.