Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Elizabeth Craig (McLean) Pratt was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Jean and Bill McLean in 1950. Her middle name, Craig, was her great-grandmother's last name. Known as Betty, she was close with her family as she was raised with her sisters, Donna and Marge, and her brother, Bob. The family had a lot of fun together. Betty was greatly influenced by her mother and father, with an independent spirit. The entire family was proud of their Scottish heritage as their father was born in Scotland. The McLean family crest shows a belt with a Scottish thistle intertwined, as the crest lists: virtue, mine, and honour.

The family moved to Downey, California, because her father transferred in his job with an electronics company. When Betty started kindergarten, she was so excited to go to school. She was very smart and wanted to learn. When Betty was seven, the family moved to a small town in Kansas. Her parents were very good dancers who gave the kids an appreciation for music. Her father played Opera music at home for the family. Even as the kids were digging in the dirt in the backyard, you could hear the music play. Betty was a voracious reader and she had a talent for memorizing music as she played the piano. She was very involved in the Girl Scouts. She went to England for a week and enjoyed a special canoe trip to Wisconsin with the Girl Scouts. She learned archery and was like "Bettyhood" rather than "Robinhood." She always dreamed of getting her ears pierced, but her mother said she couldn't get her ears pierced until she had diamond earrings. So, Betty started working at Swiss Miss in her early teen years, making enough money to buy diamond earrings. When she could finally afford the earrings, she was thrilled to get her ears pierced. Betty graduated from high school in Kansas City and by her freshman year in college, the family moved to Massachusetts. Betty graduated from North Adams State College, where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry.

After college, while working at Burger Chef, Betty met one of her customers and it changed her life. His name was Paul and they had a lot in common. Paul noticed Betty first for her beautiful smile. He remembers she was real, very determined, independent and she didn't play games. She was ready to get out on her own and see the world and she was Paul's "Little Princess." For fun, the couple snuck over the New York State line to go dancing, due to the drinking age. Betty was an excellent dancer. She also put her feet on top of Paul's feet and they danced the night away.

Three weeks after they first met, Paul asked her to marry him and she accepted. But, officially he waited 14 months before he called her father and invited him to lunch. Paul took her father to Howard Johnsons in Williamstown, where he asked, "Can I marry your daughter?" Bill McLean said, "Of course, son." With her parents' blessing, Betty and Paul married in a lovely church ceremony on July 1, 1972. Paul remembers it like yesterday, because the moment they opened the door to walk down the aisle, a ray of light shone on the couple. Bob took the couple to New York to start their honeymoon, which they enjoyed for a week in Bermuda, pedaling all over town. After their honeymoon and three days back home in Massachusetts, the couple moved to Colorado. Betty got a job at a bank right away and the couple stayed for the next 16 months, before pursuing new opportunities in California. They both wanted to be close to the ocean and made the move.

Paul's Little Princess waited on the sidewalk feeding the meter for their orange Volkswagen, as Paul interviewed and was hired for a new job in Southern California. Their dream came true when the couple moved into an apartment in Redondo Beach, one block from the ocean. The couple always said that they could go to the ocean, dump their problems and baggage into the ocean and they did, hand-in-hand. They both agreed that you can't have an argument or get upset when you're by the ocean and throughout their marriage, the couple never argued. Betty quickly found work at Security Pacific Bank, which eventually was bought by Bank of America. From the moment she was hired, she kept getting promoted. For 15 years, she was devoted to the company, working her way up to Escrow Manager. In her company review, she earned a 215% Efficiency Rating. She worked in the Del Amo office and on the 16th floor of Avenue of the Stars. Betty taught the next generation and created girls who were specialists. She believed in helping other people get their careers off the ground and she never colored outside the lines.

When she decided to leave the banking business, she opened William Edgar and Company at the World Trade Center in Long Beach. She dealt in high-end products such as crystal, Mont Blanc pens and fine writing instruments. For 18 years, she always took care of her customers, providing free gift-wrapping. She had over 700 different ribbons to decorate gifts and she was a creative perfectionist. With a Japanese influence, she sometimes added a little origami to the top of the gifts.

After Betty's father passed away in 1989, she missed him so much. She found a way to do the greatest thing for her mother. She kept her mom busy by taking her to the store to help customers. Her mom had such a nice smile and she'd tell customers her stories about living in the Arctic, the Mounties and the Eskimos. They'd do Christmas in July and her mom stayed for a few months at a time. Betty really bonded with her mom while she helped in the store and her sisters and brother also took turns having mom visit. It was difficult when her mother passed away in 1999, but Betty was grateful for all of the special times they spent together.

In her personal life, Betty loved weekends to go home, go shopping and have a nice meal with Paul. The couple went on dates everywhere, even to the supermarket or to Frosty Freeze. They put on their most comfortable clothes, tennis shoes, and hopped into Betty's white Mustang Convertible for a drive along Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. It was a perfect date every time. They just loved each other as they were best friends. There were many trips over the years as they enjoyed vacations to Lake Tahoe, Santa Rosa, and a special trip with Jean and Bill to Scotland in the mid 70s. Betty and Paul liked going to Maine, although the lobster population was probably terrified as Paul loved eating lobster. They'd go and sit on a rock and enjoy the spray of the crashing waves against the rocks or take a tour of lighthouses and barns.

In her free time, Betty loved reading mysteries and exchanged books with her sister, Donna. She enjoyed reading novels by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and John Grisham. When the couple was on a cruise, she read three books before the cruise ended. At home, she read a book in an evening. With an amazing talent, she was a speed-reader who also comprehended every word.

With a love of animals, Betty and Paul had horses for a while and over 30 years, they had six little black Scottie dogs. Her ideal dream was being a Scottie rancher to at least 12 little dogs. She said she'd sit on the ground and just let them lick her.

Betty enjoyed listening to music and always had symphonies playing in her store. Poignant songs for the couple were "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and "Happy Together" by the Turtles. Instead of having children, Betty and Paul decided to adopt adults who needed help. One of those adults they adopted was Terry Hand, who was the drummer for the Turtles. Terry played that song, "Happy Together," for the couple often.

Spiritually, Betty believed in God, but not the building. She said her prayers in private every day and God was definitely a part of her life.

Family was always a priority in Betty's life. Her purpose in life was to make Paul happy, because she was truly his best friend. Betty was the person Paul always went to with his problems or something to discuss. She was an incredible listener. Their quiet time together was special. It didn't matter where they were, as long as they were together. He'd even call her from Hawaii when he was at the finest restaurant, because he'd rather be at home eating a hamburger with her. While they celebrated their anniversaries quietly together, for their 10th anniversary Paul bought Betty a beautiful diamond ring and she was so excited and grateful.

No matter her health condition, Betty never complained. In the end, she wanted to be at home and her family honored her wishes. Before she passed, her husband told her, "You're still my little princess. I love you," and she squeezed his hand. Surrounded by her family, she passed away peacefully as she knew it was okay to go.

Betty Pratt will be remembered for her quiet strength. Donna, Marge and Bob will remember their sister, Betty, as loving, thoughtful and sensitive. Her niece, Stephanie, remembers she was the coolest woman in the world. Someone that she could look up to, bigger than life, treating her like the only person in the world. Betty had a way of making everyone feel as though they were the most important person in the room. Her sister-in-law, Cheryl, never saw Betty's feathers ruffled, as she was graceful and someone to admire. Betty felt for children and pets throughout her life and there were moments when she stepped in to help children. Her advice to everyone now would be: "Don't make a fuss. Get back to your lives and go live your life." Paul and the entire family will miss everything about Betty, especially her presence, her support and comfort. Being with Betty made you feel you had a high quality of life and the family will carry that with them forever.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents Jean and Bill. She is loved and remembered by her husband Paul; sister Donna and her husband Gary; sister Marge and her husband Fenton; brother Bob and his wife Cheryl; brother-in-law Mark; niece Megan; niece Stephanie; nephews Steve, Kyle and Eric; great-nephew Gavin; extended relatives and friends.

Betty's ashes will be scattered in the ocean that she loved so very much. From her husband Paul: "Betty, thanks for laughing at my jokes. You're still my little princess."

Memorial donations are welcome in Betty Pratt's name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Breast Cancer ww5.komen.org.

Betty's parents - Jean & Bill McLean