Mildred Boutin Prothrow, 102, died August 7, in Maho, Sint Maarten Netherlands Antilles, during an annual family vacation. She had been living in Los Angeles with her daughter, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, dean of the Medical School at Charles R. Drew University, and son-in-law, Ambassador (ret.) Charles R. Stith. She also shared their homes in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Boston.
Born on April 7, 1917 in Pointe á la Hache, Louisiana, she grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. She graduated from Wiley College (BS ’41) in Marshall, Texas, where she met Percy W. Prothrow Jr., her husband of 33 years until he passed in 1976. He was an Atlanta Life Insurance Company executive and they lived in Marshall, Texas; Atlanta and Houston.
In Houston, she earned a Masters Degree in reading education at Texas Southern University. She taught in the North Forest Independent School District outside of Houston, until she retired in 1983. Active in the community, she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
A woman of great faith, she was a member of Warren United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Trinity United Methodist Church in Houston, Union United Methodist Church in Boston and Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
She is also survived by a granddaughter, Mary Mildred (Mimi) Boutin Stith; three grandsons, James Robert (Trey) Edmondson, III; his wife, Quay Whitlock Edmondson, and daughter, Perci Ayele Edmondson; Anthony Wesley Franklin and Percy Roderick Michael Stith and his children Gabriella Ervin Stith, Gracyn Ervin Stith, Kamal Kai Stith and Ruby Deborah Stith.
A private memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Mildred Boutin Prothrow Scholarship Fund at Wiley College. You must indicate The Mildred Prothrow Fund in the Restriction Donation box. To donate, visit wileyc.edu/online-donation/#start.
