Teresa “Tere” Prien-Noonan

Jan. 8, 1958, to Dec. 10, 2020

Teresa “Tere” Prien-Noonan of Lafayette, Indiana, passed away on December 10, 2020, after a long illness. She was born January 8, 1958, in Lafayette to Margaret (Bright) Prien and the late Robert Prien. A 1976 graduate of Jefferson High School, Tere attended Indiana University in Bloomington where she studied theater.

On August 13, 1983, she married James “Jim” Noonan of Hyde Park, New York, in Belmont, Massachusetts. Together they welcomed two sons, Samuel and Alexander, whom they raised in Lafayette. Throughout the years, the family enjoyed vacationing together in Maine, a place that was near and dear to Tere’s heart. Jim preceded her in death in 2019.

Tere’s career pursuits reflected her strong creative spirit. During the years she lived in Massachusetts, she developed an interest and expertise in antique and vintage costume jewelry and decorative objects. She soon established her own successful business, Late Bloomers, and spent many years selling at antique markets on the East Coast, including at the famed Brimfield Antique Flea Market in Brimfield, Massachusetts. Her work also took her overseas to Hong Kong and Thailand.

When her sons were in elementary school, Tere began devoting more time to another passion: her love for children’s literacy. She spent more than a decade doing volunteer work related to reading activities, first at Murdock Elementary School and later at Vinton Elementary School. She wrote grants to fund free book distributions to students and organized and presented special schoolwide events to celebrate and encourage reading among students. She also took great pride in establishing ReadCycle, a popular book-trading program for students at Vinton that later became the model for a community-based children’s book-trading program in Greater Lafayette.

After many years as a dedicated volunteer, Tere joined the Vinton staff as a library assistant and later worked for 10 years as a library assistant in the children’s section of the Tippecanoe County Public Library, where she enthusiastically developed and presented programming for children of all ages. Some of her favorite activities were presenting Readers’ Theater and story times for young children, visiting area schools to promote the library’s summer reading programs, and creating and presenting special book-themed events, such as Fancy Nancy tea parties.

Tere was a talented designer and interior decorator. She loved spending time with her extended family, and her home often served as the central gathering place for holidays, special occasions, and impromptu get-togethers for family and friends.

Tere will be deeply missed by all who survive her, including sons Samuel Noonan and Alexander Noonan; mother Margaret Prien; siblings Susan Williams (Toby), Philip Prien, Anita Killian (Mike), and Carolyn McGrew (Chris); sister-in-law Maggie Barszewski (Larry); nieces Amanda Galvin (Ryan), Jacqueline Barszewski, and Jessica Barszewski; nephews Nathaniel Williams, Jackson McGrew, William Prien, and Thomas McGrew; and dear friends Lynn Dilts-Hill, Katy and Steve Wien, and many others.

No service is planned at this time, but for those who would like to make a memorial contribution, please feel free to choose one that supports causes that were important to Tere, including Friends of the Tippecanoe County Public Library, Food Finders, Lafayette Transitional Housing, or Reading Is Fundamental.