Robert (Bob) Prentice 1958-2023

Robert Arthur (Bob) Prentice, 65, of Wessington, died on Monday, November 27, 2023, at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital after fighting a courageous battle against melanoma cancer. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held Monday, Nov. 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., at Bethesda Church in Huron, with Pastor Aaron Garza officiating. 

 

Bob was born April 18, 1958, in Sheridan, WY, to Robert and Ramona (Winegar) Prentice. By the time he was ten, he had lived in Big Horn, Pines Bluff, and Laramie, WY, Rapid City, SD, and Osakis, MN. In 1968, his family settled on a farm near Carlos, MN, where Bob lived until he graduated from Jefferson High School in Alexandria in 1976.

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Bob attended Brown Institute, Minneapolis, where he learned radio broadcasting. Following graduation, he came back to Alexandria to work at KXRA Radio as a disk jockey. It was in Alexandria that he met the love of his life, Vicki Ackerson, who was studying interior design at Alexandria Technical Institute. Bob was determined not to let Vicki get away, so he asked her to marry him five short months after they met, promising her that if she would join him in life’s journey, he would show her the world. The two were married on November 4, 1978, in Staples, MN.  

The couple made their first home in Huron, where Bob was employed as a radio announcer at KOKK Radio. Making good on his promise, he moved his family to five more cities in the next six years: Hot Springs, where he signed KOBH radio on the air every morning and sold advertising the rest of the day; Bowman, ND, where he managed the new country western station; Great Falls, MT, and Glendive, MT, both Christian stations, where he also served as general manager, and then back to Hot Springs, to turn the poorly managed station to a break-even point, so it could be sold.  

 

In 1985, Bob left his radio career behind and moved his family to Rapid City so he could sell Dale Carnegie courses. He loved the training business and wanted to venture out on his own, so on December 26, 1989, Professional Development Systems was born. For several years, Bob worked hard to build his Rapid City-based business, traveling in an eight-state region, speaking and consulting. He loved his work, but he hated being away from his family, so in the fall of 1995, he took his family and business on the road. They sold everything they owned, bought a 1948 GMC Greyhound bus, converted it into an RV for five, and hit the road, traveling for three years before settling down in Wessington.

 

For over 35 years, Bob’s purpose and mission have been to help as many people as possible be successful through his simple message–that attitude is everything–so it’s no surprise that his family, friends, and clients called him “Mr. Attitude.” He has impacted the lives of thousands of people through his motivational speaking, corporate training, business consulting, and coaching in the business world. 

 

Bob loved people and was particularly gifted in engaging an audience. His favorite thing to do was spend time with his children and grandchildren, and he loved to teach them about the role attitude plays in every aspect of life. He also enjoyed writing, gardening, bartering, candle-making, riding his 4-wheeler, watching sunsets, and enjoying God’s beautiful creation wherever his travels took him. 

 

Bob will be greatly missed by his wife, Vicki, of 45 years; son, Joshua, and daughter, Tasha (Nicholas) Roth; grandchildren, Justin (Anna) Roth, Ethan Roth, Alexis Roth, Danielle, Hunter, and Evan Prentice, Wessington; brothers, Tony (Lynn), Green Valley, AZ, and Scott (Andrea West) Prentice, Venice, FL; sister, Sheryl (Glenn) Winningham, Sioux Falls; brother-in-law, Scott (Berta) Ackerson, LaCrosse, WI; sister-in-law, Jacki (Wade) Christenson, Mounds View, MN; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. 

 

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Micah.