Ex-Ford dealer dies

ALBANY, Ga. — Local history buff and former president of Pritchett Ford-Honda, Carl Blair Pritchett, Jr., better known as Bunny, died Wednesday at the age of 85.

Pritchett died of natural causes, according to his younger brother Thomas Pritchett.

“He was a big Civil War buff, and of course he was a former city commissioner. He was a really good brother,” Pritchett said of his older sibling.

Pritchett, who was born in Albany and was the great-great-grandson of Albany founder Nelson Tift, which spurned his fascination and love of local history.

Woody Brooks, an area historian, once commented, “I would imagine that there’s not too many folks that know more (area) history than he (Pritchett) does.”

As a hobby, Pritchett collected numerous historical artifacts and items that he displayed in his unofficial museum off Slappey Boulevard.

On display at the museum were hundreds or war bullets, Confederate uniforms, war propaganda, bayonets, rifles, Native American artifacts and numerous flags.

Pritchett and his brother, Thomas, operated the Pritchett Ford dealership, one of the largest in southwest Georgia, until 1998 when it was sold. The dealership had been in the Pritchett family since the early 1900s when Pritchett’s father purchased from the Haley family. In 1999, the Pritchetts sold their Honda dealership to family friend Ed Edwards.

Former Albany Mayor Paul Keenan said he remembers Pritchett as a good and gracious man.

“I knew his mother and father and I knew the family well. I was never really that close to Bunny, but he was a good guy and hard worker,” said the former mayor.

Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors is in charge of funeral arrangements.