ROCK SPRINGS — Jon Breton ‘Bret’ Prine, 64, of Rock Springs died Thursday, July 3rd at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City surrounded by family.
He was born November 30, 1949 in Laramie, Wyoming to Elmo ‘Ike’ Prine and Margaret Bolle Prine.
He attended school in Laramie, graduating from LHS in 1968.
After working as a mechanic in Casper and Laramie, he completed his bachelor’s degree in Trades and Industry at the University of Wyoming in 1980 where he was awarded the Outstanding Student in Trade and Industrial Education.
He taught auto mechanics in Worland for several years before returning to Laramie and earning a second bachelor’s in Earth Sciences in 1991. While in Worland, his students placed first in the state and sixth in the nation on the 1986 Plymouth Troubleshooting Competition written exam and in 1987 went on to win the state competition and took 26th in the national competition in Washington, D.C.
He began teaching Automotive and Diesel Mechanics at Western Wyoming Community College in 1991. He was instrumental in the development of the current Diesel Technology Program at the college. He also served as a faculty member on WWCC’s Automotive/Diesel Technology Advisory Board.
Bret retired from teaching in 2012.
He married Linda (Goodin) Moore on August 16, 1986 at the family guest ranch near Dubois, WY.
They have one son, Daniel Breton, born in 1990. They later divorced but remained friends.
His other interests during his lifetime included playing the lead role in Tom Jones his senior year of high school; participating in high school athletics (football, wrestling, and track) and coaching those sports in Worland; hunting, fishing, skiing and golfing; faithfully attending UW football games; and, spending as much time as possible at the family’s guest ranch where, as a youngster, he was the designated fishing guide and, as an adult, the go-to handyman when anything needed repair. He also enjoyed making pottery, spending Spring Break in Mexico with his son and friends, and traveling the US and Canada. He was a great cook, especially on a grill or in a wok.
He is survived by his son Daniel, former wife Linda, both of Rock Springs; mother Margaret of Laramie; brothers Craig of Cheyenne and Mark (& Peggy) of Billings, Montana; nephews Jeramie and family of Lander, and, Stan Morris and family of Billings, Montana; and numerous cousins and good friends. He was preceded in death by his father Elmo ‘Ike’ Prine and infant brother Jeff.
Memorial services will be on Friday, August 29th at 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Rock Springs, 1515 Edgar Street.
