Donald Prokop: Obituary
Donald Prokop1933-2019
Every Life Matters
Here is sometime "Second Look" contributor Al Doshna's tribute to his brother Don in the Syracuse Post Standard. Testifies to a real "all-American" upstate New York family struggling against the currents of our time and winning a rough victory in the end.Don was proud of Al's engineering some financial support for Christian film-maker Richard Rossi's exposure of fake evangelism in the yet-to-be released movie "Canaan Land." So many worthwhile films have to struggle to get out against the multi-billion dollar onslaught of superheroes. Yet Pope Francis praised Rossi's effort – a fan in high places.
Al's story as an actor and writer and film historian and his support for his brother who had effectively laid down his life for him and the family are told more on his website alandoshna.com – (Editor).
Donald D. Prokop May 17, 2019 Donald Prokop, passed away on May 17, 2019 following a long illness. He was born on April 6, 1933 in Yonkers, NY. The son of the late Frank Prokop Sr. and (late) Veronica (nee) Mcenroe and brother of (late) Frank Prokop Jr., he graduated from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers and Manhattan College. In the early 1960's he began working for the Federal Government at the Small Business Administration (SBA). Around that time Donald took responsibility for the care of his mother who had divorced his father, and two half brothers who had been abandoned by their father, (late) Walter Doshna and Alan Doshna, for whom both he had been Godfather.
In order to support the family, Donald accepted a transfer to a better position in the Syracuse, NY branch of the SBA. His brother Walter later established Walt's Automotive Service, a prominent one-stop auto repair shop in downtown Syracuse. Following his retirement as local SBA Liquidation Chief and in his later years, Donald became involved with a number of projects with his actor/writer/producer brother Alan. He was mentioned twice, once in the dedication of the book Richard Anderson At Last...A Memoir: From the Golden Years of MGM to the Six Million Dollar Man and Beyond for which Alan was co-author. He did a cameo as an actor with his brother in the YouTube video, The Kelton Marathon and was also an Associate Producer with him on the upcoming faith-based independent film Canaan Land. The latter film received an endorsement from Pope Francis, who described director Richard Rossi as "a voice for the poor who have been taken advantage of by those misrepresenting Christ in a culture of greed." On his own, a number of years prior to that, Donald was an uncredited investor in the film The Lady in White (1988).
Donald is survived by his brother, Alan Doshna of Syracuse, NY; four nephews, one niece and eleven grand nephews and nieces. A Funeral Mass is set for Wednesday, May 22, at 12 noon at Holy Cross Church with burial at St. Mary's Cemetery, both in DeWitt. Tax deductible donations can be made at gofundme.com/CanaanLand towards completion of the film. Arrangements are with Fairchild & Meech DeWitt Chapel. To express sympathy, please visit fairchildmeech.com
Published Syracuse Post Standard from May 18 to May 19, 2019.