Ray Gilbert Pratt's Obituary
Ray Gilbert Pratt passed from this life to eternal life in Heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in Fayetteville, AR at the Willard Walker Hospice House surrounded by his loved ones on February 20, 2023, at the age of 94.
Visitation will be Friday, February 24, 2023, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, at Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Funeral Service will begin at 12:00 pm at Moore's Chapel with burial to follow at 1:30 pm at Fayetteville National Cemetery under the direction of Moore’s Chapel. Click this link to view additional details about Ray's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/ray-pratt
Ray was born in Bemis, TN on September 12th, 1928 to William Ellis and Birdie Herriman Pratt. He graduated from Steele High School in Bemis, TN. Many people don’t know that he was a boxer, a pool shark, and could do a mean jitterbug. He started working as a young boy selling magazines and later, working at Kress Department store, and Wahl’s Slipper Shop painting seams on the back of women client’s legs, so that it would look like they were wearing nylon hose during the nylon shortage of World War II. While working at Kress, he met Martha Emily Howell and because of their growing romance, he left Kress and went back to work for Wahl’s because employees were not allowed to date each other. They did not need long to decide they wanted to be together forever and were married on Christmas Eve, 1947.
Ray and Martha moved from the small town of Jackson, TN to the big city of Washington, DC to work for the FBI as fingerprints experts. The Korean War interrupted his career and sent him to the front lines where he was a combat engineer for the Army. After serving 2 years in Korea, he returned to his fingerprint job in Washington DC. After a decision to return to small-town life to raise their family, Ray joined the Jackson, TN Police department as a fingerprint expert in the detective division. He served in the Jackson police department from 1957-1983. During that time, he pioneered the narcotics division with the help of his partner, Jackie Moore. On May 1, 1972, he was promoted to Captain over Central Record and Identification where he remained until he retired on September 27, 1983. Not ready to leave law enforcement, he worked for the Sheriff’s department as a bailiff for 10 years. Upon his second retirement, he moved to Fayetteville, AR.
About five years after Martha went to be with the Lord, he found joy again through a long-time friendship with Anna Marie Watson. They married on September 9, 2004. At that point, they moved back to his home state of Tennessee, where they lived in Bartlett and enjoyed 13 years with kids and grandkids. Following the death of Anna Marie, Ray spent the rest of his life living in Northwest Arkansas enjoying the lake and his family.
At each place that Ray lived, he served the Lord faithfully in the local church. He was an active member of West Jackson Baptist Church where he served as a deacon, a bus driver, and with Martha, a Sunday School teacher of teenagers. In Northwest Arkansas, he was a member of Cross Church Springdale where he enjoyed his Pastor and his life group. In Bartlett, he and Anna Marie were members of Bellevue Baptist Church, enjoying the many productions and life group there.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Birdie Pratt, his brother Bill Pratt, and his wives Martha Howell Pratt and Anna Marie (Watson) Pratt. Survivors include his daughters Pam Pratt Anderson and husband Larry, Sandy Pratt Yates and husband Mike, and Joanna Watson Zariello and husband Brian; his 10 grandchildren, Larry Anderson III (Anna), Michael Yates (Heather), Mollie Anderson Tatum (Ben), Lauren Yates Tuck (Crosby), David Anderson, Jesse Anderson, Rose Anderson Sidhom (Noah), Lucia Zariello, Gianni Zariello, Angelina Zariello.
He had 16 great-grandchildren, Ethan Anderson, Emma Anderson, Evan Anderson, Nate Tuck, Daniel Tatum, Ellis Anderson, Cole Tuck, Sam Tatum, Asa Sidhom, Eliza Anderson, Rowen Tuck, August Sidhom, Emily Tatum, Ellee Sidhom, Meg Sidhom, and Kallyn Yates.
Ray lived a full life loving Jesus and wanting others to know Him. He also enjoyed fishing, country music, and his grands and great grands. He wanted to leave everyone a piece of advice. “Work hard and play hard, but play harder than you work.”
In lieu of flowers, the family asked donations be made to your choice of the following:
Willard Walker Hospice Home: [email protected]
Shiloh Christian School: https://www.shilohsaints.org/legacy/ Click on “Legacy”
Bellevue Baptist Church: Mail check in “Memory of Ray Pratt”
Bellevue Baptist Church
2000 Appling Rd.
Cordova, TN 38016
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