On Monday, October 9, 2023, Florence Arne’ Dupree Prince quietly joined the whispering winds and the silent stars because God, in His infinite wisdom and omnipotence, issued the Call Divine for His servant.

Florence, known to her family as Arne’, was born in Sumter, SC on March 16, 1931, as the sixth of seven children born to the late Reverend Henry Dalton Dupree, former pastor of Barnettsville Baptist Church in Bishopville, SC and Mrs. Paralee Garrick Dupree, whose father, Dr. James Peter Garrick, was the 4th president of Morris College in Sumter.

Florence Prince attended Benedict College and graduated from North Carolina College (NCC) at Durham, (now North Carolina Central University) in 1955 with a Bachelor’s Degree in home economics.  Notably, during her senior year at North Carolina College, she was crowned Miss NCC.  Four years later in 1959, she earned a Post Graduate degree in occupational therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

At age eight, her life was forever changed when she contracted polio, then a fearsome, life-threatening viral disease which targeted children and young adults, killing or paralyzing an estimated 20 thousand a year.   She persevered to recover from polio and found ways to adapt to having limited use of her right leg.  That life experience led her to dedicate her life to helping others regain their quality of life after illness as a registered occupational therapist.   Among her many roles in private and state psychiatric hospitals, she served as Director of Occupational Therapy at Cleveland Psychiatric Institute and taught in the Occupational Therapy Assisting Program at Cuyahoga County Community College.  She was particularly passionate about helping disabled children, leading her to join Cleveland Public Schools as an occupational therapist in 1969, and then to return to Cleveland Public Schools in 1985 where she was a loyal and dedicated employee until her retirement in 1995.

Joined in matrimony to Oscar L. Prince in 1965, Mrs. Prince immediately became a devoted stepmother to his son and daughter, Geraud and Janice, and later, became a loving mother to their daughter, Kamala L. Prince.

Florence Arne’ Dupree Prince will be remembered for her warmth and generosity to her friends and family.  Always a good listener, she provided sage and insightful advice, but only to those who asked.  She loved God and was devoted to Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, OH where she was a faithful member for over 60 years.  Many of these ties remained intact even after she relocated to Raleigh, NC.  She lived a rewarding and rich life of giving and sharing with family, friends and meaningful work.

Mrs. Florence Arne’ Dupree Prince was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar L. Prince, her parents, her three sisters (Alberetta Edith Harris, Mable Ames Burton and H. Lenore Crutchfield), and her three brothers (Henry Dalton, Jr, James Rondell, and Lartius Trescott).  She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Kamala L. Prince, her stepson, Geraud O. Prince (Arlice), and their children, Brian Prince and Alisha Prince; her stepdaughter, Janice K. Smith (David*) and their children, Jeffrey Smith and Jeremy Smith; nieces, Meilani H. Cook (Ralph*), Machelle D. Green (Thomas); nephews, Clifford Harris, Ronald Dupree; cousins, Jim L Bowman (Kathi) and George Fletcher Bowman (Yolanda), numerous family members and a host of friends.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, charitable donations be made in the memory of Mrs. Florence Arne’ Prince to The Paralee G. Dupree Memorial Fund, Morris College, 100 West College Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29150.