Obituaries
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Name: Francis Edward Pratt Dates: Birth date: April 21, 1931 Death date: January 28, 2010 Obituary: Pittsfield-Francis Edward Pratt, 78, died peacefully, Thursday, January 28, 2010. He was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on April 21, 1931, the son of Nelson and Viola (Allord) Pratt. He graduated from Northampton High School and enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He received his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA. He received his graduate degree in Education from Harvard University as well as a Masters in Latin American History from the University of the Americas in Mexico City. He married Janice A. Gidney on September 3, 1956 and together they raised 5 children. He was an educator at Acton-Boxboro Regional High School in Massachusetts for 26 years. After retirement, he and Janice moved to Maine, first to Dixmont and then for the last eight years in Pittsfield. Fran belonged to the National Education Association. He was the founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning about Aging and coined the phrase “intergenerational”. He authored the book “The United States and Foreign Policy” along with other text books and articles. He helped patients at BMHI publish their own stories. He volunteered at the Peace and Justice Center in Bangor and other social justice organizations. Francis loved to restore old homes and build new houses. He loved travel and adventure. He listened to classical music, enjoyed reading, cooking and doing crossword puzzles. He loved to take his grandchildren to museums, parks and swimming pools. He helped them set up small jobs and establish bank accounts. He always welcomed new opportunities. He was a thinker, a doer and an innovator. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Janice Pratt of Pittsfield; 5 children, Virginia D. Pratt of Boston, MA, David A. Pratt and his wife, Jeanne, of Gardner, MA, Adam B. Pratt and his wife, Patricia Wilson, of Ithaca NY, Diane A. Pratt of Pittsfield and Jennifer R. Pratt and her partner, Wesley Burton, of Hartland; 8 grandchildren, Aaron F. Pratt, Cynthia T. Pratt, Emily V. Pratt, Shauna J. Pratt, Carolyn M. MacLean, Amanda R. MacLean, Wesley A. Burton and Christene M. Burton. He was predeceased by 4 siblings, Nelson Pratt, Gladys Pratt, Raymond Pratt and Joan Cranson. A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00pm, Saturday, February 6, 2010, at the First Universalist Church on Easy Street in Pittsfield with the Rev. Margaret Beckman. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Peace and Justice Center, 170 Park Street, Bangor, Maine, 04401, in Fran’s memory. To leave a message of kindness for the family, please visit www.shoreynichols.com Care for the Pratt family has been provided by Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home, Pittsfield. A message from the Peace and Justice Center: After 9/11/01 Fran and his Wife of 53 years, Jan showed up at the Bangor peace vigil with poster board, markers and American flags of all sizes. After the vigil a few of us got together to make signs with the materials they brought. "We have to take back the flag. Peace is patriotic," said Fran as many of us watched in dismay as flags waved as the Afghan people were bombed in retaliation for the attack by Al Qaeda. After that day, he would join us whenever he could at vigils, rallies, collating newsletters or mailings. Even after it became too expensive to travel often to Bangor, Fran would still show up at Veteran's and Memorial Day Parades and called to say he was sorry he wasn't able to come more often.
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