Obituary of Charlene T. Pryor

On January 24, 2025, Ms. Charlene T. Pryor was called home to sit at the right hand of our Father. Born on March 11, 1963, Charlene T. Pryor was the third child born to the late Charles Thomas, who was from the South, and the late Evelyn Rishell Pryor, who was from Kingston Jamaica. All of Charlene's siblings predeceased her. Charlene grew up in North Philadelphia. She started singing at the age of 9 for Our Lady of Mercy Church, which was located at Broad and Susquehanna, under the guidance of Mother Brown. Mother Brown saw potential in Charlene at a young age and knew she was called to do God's work. She graduated from John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High school and furthered her education to obtain her associate's degree in business management from Community College of Philadelphia. Her love for serving God and his children led her to a career at Saint Martin de Porres. She worked for St. Martin de Porres for over 30 Years. Charlene was a parishioner of St. Columba, which was the name of the Parrish before the consolidation of Parishes in 1993. She began working at Saint Martin de Porres as a yard monitor shortly after the consolidation. The Sisters of Saint Joseph noticed her love for, and care of the children; in turn, they advised her of other career opportunities within the school. She transitioned from being a yard monitor to assisting with lunch service to eventually becoming the lunch manager. In addition to serving the children during regular school hours, Charlene also worked for St. Martin's afterschool program, where she would provide snacks and suppers to the children, assist with homework and other activities. Also, she often worked during the summer with the summer camp at St. Martin de Porres. Charlene's dedication reached beyond the school grounds. She spent time during the holiday seasons assisting Mary Cook in the church hall with special initiatives to give back to the community. Before her decline in health, she dedicated many years singing in the church choir; she had an extraordinary alto voice that everyone looked forward to hearing. Charlene often referred to her career at St. Martin's as "Doing the Lord's Work" when people inquired about her line of business. She loved the children, staff and parishioners of St. Martin de Porres Church and school deeply; she often referred to them as her family. Charlene was a God-fearing woman who taught her children, "With God, all things are possible." Her sense of humor and her "keepin' it real" perspective will forever live on in our hearts. She was a true philanthropist who truly relied on Jesus' power and strength to sustain her. She will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren and everyone she touched. Charlene's memory is cherished by her daughters: Rishell T. Pryor, Patricia C. Carter and Danille B.J. Clark; Grand Children: Marlenne Rodriguez, Amdriel, Rodriguez Amdriele Rodriguez, Maralee Rodriguez, Melanie Rodriguez, Ryan Carter, Parker Carter, Paul Clark and Chloe Hopgood; along with a host of special people she took on as her family throughout her lifetime. Charlene's memory lives on with everyone she made laugh and turn to God during their troubled times. She was an extraordinary person who loved God, her family and her community. Our love for her will live in our memories forever.