John Pratt: scholar, poet, playwright, actor, world traveler, handy man, and dapper dresser.
John Harvey Pratt, PhD, was born on October 17,1938. He grew up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the youngest of three children. His businessman father, school-teacher mother, and two older sisters doted on "little Johnnie," nurturing his curious and creative nature. His first dog, a black lab mix named Charcoal, was the first of many canine companions he bonded with throughout his life.
In spite of a stutter that made communicating difficult, he graduated from Cape Girardeau's Central High School. John then followed in his sisters' footsteps and attended Southeast Missouri State University, where, in 1960, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education. While still an undergraduate, he met a history student named Joan Klobe. Their collegiate romance led to marriage in 1961, and two children: Geoffrey and Pamela Drew. The marriage ended in divorce in 1989.
John's first teaching job was at the high school in Puxico, Missouri. His students were unruly, forcing him to become a 5-foot, 6-inch disciplinarian. Against all odds, he proved to be a force that commanded respect. The students got in line. In spite of this success, John determined that teaching in rural public schools was best left to others.
After John earned a master's degree in English at the University of Missouri, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri, where John joined the faculty of Columbia College. While still serving at Columbia College, he pursued a doctorate with a specialty in Middle English verse, a course of study that sparked his lifelong passion for the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. He completed his doctorate in 1976.
At Columbia College, John developed a curriculum in children's literature, and this became the basis for one of his most popular courses. He also wrote children's poetry, deriving material from the experiences of his children in the family's quirky, old Missouri farmhouse.
After more than a decade at Columbia College, John accepted a faculty position with Centralia Community College in Centralia, Washington. There he taught English composition, children's literature and medieval literature to his many enthusiastic students. His book, Chaucer and War, was published in 2000.
Among his many contributions to his students' academic and personal growth, his guidance of multiple study abroad groups to England and Italy gave his students transformative, life-changing experiences.
At Centralia, John fell in love with CPA and fiber artist Sonya Smith. They were married in 1989. John became stepfather to her three children, Chelsey, Michelle and George. In their 37 years of marriage, John and Sonya shared a love of home renovation, travel, trekking, reading, writing and theatre. Among their most memorable travel experiences was walking the French Camino de Santiago de Compostela with their close friends Villa and Douglas Kerr in the fall of 2001.
John inherited an affinity for the dramatic from his mother (as did his sister Pat). He became fully and chronically infected with the thespian bug mid-way through his tenure at CCC, and throughout his retirement. He would perform in a total of 76 productions over 28 years. He was awarded Best Actor at the Driftwood Theater in Aberdeen, Washington's annual awards show for his solo performance in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry" (performed in 2008, 2012 and 2014). John shared with many that the role he was most proud of was playing Norman Thayer in "On Golden Pond" in 2017 at Olympia Little Theater. He was 80 years old, the same age as his character.
John's last performance was at CCC in January 2021, when he played the role of a preacher in "The Living". The play, set during the Great Plague of London was performed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in America. It was a fitting curtain call for John's second act as a devoted thespian.
In later years, John transitioned from acting to script writing and play production. His final third act work, "Leaving 50 Wimpole Street", was performed at CCC in 2023.
John and Sonya's household was (and is) always a welcoming meeting place for their blended family and friends (humans and canines), full of laughter, strawberries (he consumed daily), and his favorite cherry pie at every Christmas holiday. John doted on all his children and grandchildren, and passed on the importance of kindness, curiosity, civic duty, a sense of humor, a love of travel, the value of reading books and being creative.
His parents, Josephine and Daniel Pratt, and sisters Mary Jo Moxey and Pat Mueller, preceded John in death. Surviving him are his wife Sonya; son Geoffrey and (spouse) Claire Pratt; daughter Pamela Drew Pratt and (spouse) Charles Reineke; grandchildren Allison Pratt and (partner) Zech Peel, Alexander Pratt, Amanda Pratt and (partner) Tony Richardson; nephew Tim Ludwig; niece Laurie Bevirt and (spouse) Don Bevirt. In addition, he is survived by Sonya's children Chelsey Renee Steirer, Michelle and (spouse) David Reeves, George and (spouse) Bethany Steirer; and grandchildren Connor and Liz Reeves, and Kyle Steirer; and dear friends Emmy Kreilkamp and Thomas Green, among many others.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Thurston County Food Bank.
John Harvey Pratt, PhD, was born on October 17,1938. He grew up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the youngest of three children. His businessman father, school-teacher mother, and two older sisters doted on "little Johnnie," nurturing his curious and creative nature. His first dog, a black lab mix named Charcoal, was the first of many canine companions he bonded with throughout his life.
In spite of a stutter that made communicating difficult, he graduated from Cape Girardeau's Central High School. John then followed in his sisters' footsteps and attended Southeast Missouri State University, where, in 1960, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education. While still an undergraduate, he met a history student named Joan Klobe. Their collegiate romance led to marriage in 1961, and two children: Geoffrey and Pamela Drew. The marriage ended in divorce in 1989.
John's first teaching job was at the high school in Puxico, Missouri. His students were unruly, forcing him to become a 5-foot, 6-inch disciplinarian. Against all odds, he proved to be a force that commanded respect. The students got in line. In spite of this success, John determined that teaching in rural public schools was best left to others.
After John earned a master's degree in English at the University of Missouri, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri, where John joined the faculty of Columbia College. While still serving at Columbia College, he pursued a doctorate with a specialty in Middle English verse, a course of study that sparked his lifelong passion for the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. He completed his doctorate in 1976.
At Columbia College, John developed a curriculum in children's literature, and this became the basis for one of his most popular courses. He also wrote children's poetry, deriving material from the experiences of his children in the family's quirky, old Missouri farmhouse.
After more than a decade at Columbia College, John accepted a faculty position with Centralia Community College in Centralia, Washington. There he taught English composition, children's literature and medieval literature to his many enthusiastic students. His book, Chaucer and War, was published in 2000.
Among his many contributions to his students' academic and personal growth, his guidance of multiple study abroad groups to England and Italy gave his students transformative, life-changing experiences.
At Centralia, John fell in love with CPA and fiber artist Sonya Smith. They were married in 1989. John became stepfather to her three children, Chelsey, Michelle and George. In their 37 years of marriage, John and Sonya shared a love of home renovation, travel, trekking, reading, writing and theatre. Among their most memorable travel experiences was walking the French Camino de Santiago de Compostela with their close friends Villa and Douglas Kerr in the fall of 2001.
John inherited an affinity for the dramatic from his mother (as did his sister Pat). He became fully and chronically infected with the thespian bug mid-way through his tenure at CCC, and throughout his retirement. He would perform in a total of 76 productions over 28 years. He was awarded Best Actor at the Driftwood Theater in Aberdeen, Washington's annual awards show for his solo performance in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry" (performed in 2008, 2012 and 2014). John shared with many that the role he was most proud of was playing Norman Thayer in "On Golden Pond" in 2017 at Olympia Little Theater. He was 80 years old, the same age as his character.
John's last performance was at CCC in January 2021, when he played the role of a preacher in "The Living". The play, set during the Great Plague of London was performed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in America. It was a fitting curtain call for John's second act as a devoted thespian.
In later years, John transitioned from acting to script writing and play production. His final third act work, "Leaving 50 Wimpole Street", was performed at CCC in 2023.
John and Sonya's household was (and is) always a welcoming meeting place for their blended family and friends (humans and canines), full of laughter, strawberries (he consumed daily), and his favorite cherry pie at every Christmas holiday. John doted on all his children and grandchildren, and passed on the importance of kindness, curiosity, civic duty, a sense of humor, a love of travel, the value of reading books and being creative.
His parents, Josephine and Daniel Pratt, and sisters Mary Jo Moxey and Pat Mueller, preceded John in death. Surviving him are his wife Sonya; son Geoffrey and (spouse) Claire Pratt; daughter Pamela Drew Pratt and (spouse) Charles Reineke; grandchildren Allison Pratt and (partner) Zech Peel, Alexander Pratt, Amanda Pratt and (partner) Tony Richardson; nephew Tim Ludwig; niece Laurie Bevirt and (spouse) Don Bevirt. In addition, he is survived by Sonya's children Chelsey Renee Steirer, Michelle and (spouse) David Reeves, George and (spouse) Bethany Steirer; and grandchildren Connor and Liz Reeves, and Kyle Steirer; and dear friends Emmy Kreilkamp and Thomas Green, among many others.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Thurston County Food Bank.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of JOHN HARVEY PRATT, please visit our flower store.
JOHN HARVEY PRATT's Guestbook
Visits: 234
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors