Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Catherine Pratt was born in Adams, Massachusetts, to her parents, Elizabeth and John, on November 26th, 1925. Catherine was raised with her two siblings, whom she dearly loved. Marion was the big sister and accomplished executive. Roy was the playful little Brother, for whom she would do anything. Her father, John, was a teamster and factory worker, while her mother, Elizabeth, made her life's work supporting her husband, her children, and extended family members.

While the times could be difficult, Catherine had a rich childhood, due to her close-knit family environment. Her parents led by example, with old-fashion values and a strong family committment. She appeared innocent and trusting, but was fiercely protective of her family and friends, as any good Mother would be.

Catherine was very smart, artistic and she loved to listen to good music. She graduated from high school in Adams, Massachusetts. After graduation, she worked as a secretary at the Arnold Print Works.

It was a chance meeting in her early 20's that brought Catherine her greatest joys in life. She attended a dance and met a handsome young man by the name of Cliff Pratt. They dated and were married in April of 1948. They honored their wedding vows for their next 59 years together in marriage, until Cliff passed. "It truly was for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, til' death do us part." Cliff adored Catherine and Catherine was absolutely devoted to Cliff.

The couple first settled in a little section of North Adams known as Blackinton. They lived in a duplex next door to Bill and Alma Pratt, Cliff's Brother and his wife.

Their greatest gifts came with the births of their sons. Catherine was only 5 feet two inches tall and weighed 102 pounds, but Paul weighed 10 and a half pounds at birth. Twelve years later, Mark was born and weighed in at almost nine pounds. Catherine's family, her husband and her sons were everything to her.

As a Mother, she was wonderful. Though she didn't drive she managed to support her Boys, whether it was carting Paul around North Adams on the bus, helping them with their homework or attending their ball games.

At home, she admitted she wasn't a great cook. So, when Paul was eight-years-old, Cliff asked him to make him some eggs. That's when Paul learned how to cook. But, Catherine did like to make cookies for the kids. The neighborhood kids loved going to the Pratt home saying, "Mrs. Pratt made some cookies!" The boys' friends were always welcome in their home. And, the boys played outside until they were called inside for dinner. It really was the good old days for the kids, like being part of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Catherine taught her sons about what's important in life: your health, your family and doing the right thing. She believed in making it as simple as possible by encouraging the boys to follow the Ten Commandments and the importance of taking care of each other.

The family celebrated the holidays including Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Back in Adams, Catherine's Mother would cook German food. For Christmas, the family put up a tree and there were always tons of toys from Santa Claus. The boys received bicycles and model airplanes and baseball gloves. Cliff had the job of putting everything together...if he could just figure those darn instructions!" It really was a traditional American upbringing in every way.

When Mark took an interest in playing drums, Catherine bought him his first practice drum pad and a book while he was in elementary school. She encouraged him to get into music. They played vinyl records at home and Catherine and Mark would listen to the drumming in the songs. Catherine would say, "Play that again, I like that drumming." Later on in high school, Mark joined a band and his mother joined the supporters. They called themselves the Band-Aids. Honestly, the band was only average – but Catherine thought they were the greatest band ever. If the boys were interested in something, Catherine was interested in the same thing. That kind of unconditional love made a huge difference in both of the boys' lives.

Growing up Paul and Mark excelled at baseball, with Mark becoming the top baseball pitcher in town. Cliff, Catherine and Paul attended Mark's games. Supporting the family was a way of life.

In 1972, Paul married and in 1973 forged a path for the entire family when he moved to Southern California. Mark followed him a few years later, after graduating from high school. Six months later, the distance between Adams and their boys was too great. Without a job prospect for Cliff, Catherine and Cliff moved West to be close to their sons. Moving really proved to be a great opportunity for everyone in the Pratt family. Cliff, having worked at the same job at GE, joined the Security force at McDonnell Douglas. Catherine settled in nicely, too. They stayed in touch with friends and neighbors from back East, while making news friends in Norwalk...and most of all, they were with their Boys.

For Catherine, whatever Cliff wanted to do, she supported him. There wasn't a lot of traveling over the years because Cliff had no sense of direction and Catherine was not a very good navigator with a map – that's the truth. One time, they meant to travel to Santa Barbara, they went the wrong way and ended up heading for Bakersfield.

With many favorites in life, Catherine loved music from the 40s and 50s by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin. She loved the Rat Pack era. Her favorite films were the old classic MGM movies like Cleopatra, and she loved Elizabeth Taylor.

Catherine was an avid reader. She enjoyed reading for fun, with trashy novels, but also more serious historic books. She liked to watch the Boston Red Sox with Cliff and became a Boston Celtics / Larry Bird fan with Mark during the 80s. She really enjoyed these times, and whether she was a real fan or not...it really didn't matter...she was with her Boys.

She really loved it when her sons took her to the Chart House for seafood, at the beach. For Cliff and Catherine's 50th Anniversary, their sons took them to the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Beach. And, her favorite flowers were yellow roses.

Throughout her life, Catherine was demonstrative and always gave hugs. She was very affectionate as a wife and mother, and especially as "Grandma" to her granddaughter Meghan. When she was young, she would read to her and helped her to ride her bicycle. Catherine was very good at drawing silouettes of people and she shared her talents with Meghan. She really adored the ground that Meghan walked on as she was very proud of her granddaughter.

Mark took care of Cliff when he was ill and until his passing in 2007. Cliff's passing was the most difficult part of Catherine's life. They had been together for 60 years. They were husband and wife and best friends. The family put some special words on Cliff's gravemarker, too. "Loved his Family, God, Country & the Red Sox."

Catherine always felt they would be reunited again one day...and that day has come.

A year after Cliff's passing, Catherine suffered a stroke. She has been in a nursing home for the past four years and she always loved her visits from her sons, their wives and her granddaughter. Both Paul and Mark were happily remarried last year. The boys believe she was hanging on to see this happen and reform the Family.

After church on Sundays, Paul's wife, Jan, would take a little kit to the nursing home to do Catherine's nails and makeup. Jan and Catherine formed an instant bond.

Mark's wife, Denise, reminded him a lot of his mother. Mark told his mother, "Denise makes me happy." And, that made Catherine tear up. It was difficult for Mark to see his mother alone and Denise was very supportive, being by his side.

Before Catherine passed last week after a few days in the hospital, the Pratt family was all by her side. Catherine only opened her eyes once...when Meghan whispered to her, "Hi, Grandma." Catherine passed away peacefully and her family knows that she is reunited with Cliff again.

In the end, life had come full circle. Catherine was first the boys' caretaker and then both of the boys became her caretaker. Her purpose in life was to be a wonderful wife, homemaker, mother and grandmother. She was very charitable, giving and nurturing. She had a special understanding, empathy and sympathy for other people. She served as a guide for the boys as she taught them how to understand other people. She was a great listener and she had a tremendous knack for reading people, which was passed on to the boys.

For Catherine, her life was about having character. Her advice to the boys was always the same, "Do the right thing!" When Paul asked, "How will I know what's right?" Catherine said, "You know what to do. Do what you would want done to YOU if the positions were reversed." She also believed you should not run from your problems, but instead walk into the fire and meet them head-on. "They have to be dealt with eventually...the sooner the better. Then you can put them behind you."

Catherine will best be remembered as kind, sweet and generous with a pretty smile and kind eyes. She was a great wife, a great mother, funny and a terrible cook. If her family was well, everything was right with the world. She was very easy to please because she was really a small town girl with a big heart...and just wanted to be around family.

Her advice to everyone would be to have fun, enjoy your life, do the right thing, live every day, but don't hurt anyone along the way. Wherever she lived, her life was always like living in a small town focused on family and friends.

Her entire family will miss her presence every day. Mark will especially miss her laugh, joking around, as well as being able to confide in her about everything. Paul will miss their Starbucks chats, talking about Adams and the old days. Her sons were her life...

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister Marion; her husband Cliff; and her daughter-in-law Betty. She is loved and remembered by her son Paul and daughter-in-law Jan; son Mark and daughter-in-law Denise; her granddaughter Meghan; her brother Roy; extended family, good neighbors and many kind friends.

May she rest in peace...