JOHN ROBERT PRUETT

PRUETT

JOHN ROBERT, of Clayton, Missouri, died on Nov. 10, 2014 from complications following a stroke. Husband of Patricia (nee) Onderdonk and father of John Robert Pruett, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., he is survived by his daughter-in-law, Susan Margaret Culican, M.D., PhD., and three grandchildren, John Robert Pruett III, Margaret Frances Pruett, and Elizabeth Marion Pruett. He is also survived by brother and sister-in-law, Charles H. and Edna Pruett, sister-in-law Shirley Pruett, and preceded in death by his brother Frank D. Pruett.
John Pruett's undergraduate college career was interrupted by World War II. As a freshman at Indiana University, he was involved in the early stages of the Manhattan Project. After enlisting in the Navy, he served as a chief petty officer. His work at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and The Naval Research Laboratory involved the development of better ship gun fire-control systems, and he also worked on infrared night vision, which he tested in the South Pacific during The Battle of Leyte Gulf. He completed his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. at Indiana University and then joined the physics department at Bryn Mawr College, where he taught and conducted research for almost 40 years. With his passion for technology, he introduced computing to the campus and provided computer consulting for Schering-Plough, Hewlett-Packard, and others. He retired as Professor Emeritus of Physics and Computer Science. Following retirement, he served as president of Pruett Associates, a small educational consulting company. Ten years ago he moved from Bryn Mawr, PA to Clayton, MO so that he could spend more time with his family. He loved tennis, squash, and fishing, and he was a talented amateur photographer.
Services: A Funeral Service will take place at The Church of St. Michael and St. George, 6345 Wydown Blvd. in Clayton, MO at 10 A.M. on Saturday, November 15th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Department of Physics at Indiana University or Bryn Mawr College. A memorial service will take place at the Church of The Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA early next year. Arrs. by:
LUPTON CHAPEL 314-721-1870