Doris Prohl Deam lived her life like one of her paintings. Strokes full of bold color, deftly and intuitively placed, to form a brilliant and sensitive whole. Doris was a surprising person: so warm, reliable, comforting, and kind, she was also extremely independent, determined, and forthright. She wanted to dwell in the positive, not in the negative.
Doris was born into an energetic German-American household in Milwaukee on Nov. 8, 1928, the beloved daughter of Sophie and Waldemar Prohl and the dear younger sister of Jane Rahn. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in art education from Milwaukee State Teacher’s College.
While attending Ox-Bow School of Art in Saugatuck, on a painting scholarship, she met Prof. Edward L. Deam, FAIA, an architect and fellow artist, and from that time on endeavored to accompany him over dune and dale in their unique and complementary interests for their 67-year marriage.
Doris had a long teaching career, first as an elementary school teacher in Philadelphia and Highland Park, Ill., and then as a remedial reading teacher for 22 years at Elm Place School in Highland Park after receiving a reading specialist graduate degree from National College of Education.
Parallel to her teaching career ran her life as a painter in which she produced hundreds of paintings, first in watercolor then in acrylic and oil, which were exhibited in local and national juried art shows and represented in private collections. Doris wrote, “I paint to encourage the beauty of life,” and she always brought her creative ideas into her classrooms.
Bisecting it all was her life as a devoted mother of four children—Karin, Norman, Nancy, and Judy—for whom she concocted endless and fantastic art projects and birthday parties.
Doris succumbed to pneumonia on Nov. 7, 2018.
In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her sister, four grandchildren whom she adored, as well as a full and much-loved group of extended family and friends who were very important to her.
Visitation for Doris will be at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church, 330 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park, Ill., on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m. For information or directions please contact Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home at (847) 831-4260 or www.kelleyspaldingfuneralhome.com.
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