Zachary A. Pratt

It is with great sadness that the Pratt and DeGraeve families announce the passing of our superhero. A father, son, brother, partner, and friend, and unbelievably awesome human Zachary Alan Pratt. He died of cancer far too young, but that is not what we will remember about Zach.
Zach lived one hundred lives. Touched many hearts from his birthplace in the state of Washington, to the life he created in Hawaii, in Michigan and many places in between.
These are some wonderful things to remember about Zach if your heart is missing him right now, because he loved to make you smile. Yes, you.
These are some wonderful things you should know about Zach even if you didn't have the joy of meeting him, because if you had he'd have made you smile. Yes, you.
Zach wasn't afraid of adventure. The life of Zach was a journey. Zach was always ready for change. Ready to learn. And to try again. And to start over, when you have to.
We are now on a new adventure. This life after Zach is a journey. Zach brought us this change. So we learn. We keep trying. We keep going because we have to.
To love someone is to cheer the big things about them loudly, and to cherish the small things with them quietly. What a gift it was to love someone like Zach.
The big things are obvious. Written in bold. Surrounded in neon. Punctuated by the rumbling sound of a 1972 Suburban.
He was immeasurably kind. He was incredibly athletic. He was skilled in almost anything he tried.
He fiercely loved his four children, and they dearly loved their dad. Sharing ice cream with them was a fond memory of Zach's.
He loved his parents and brother, he was loved as a son and a sibling.
He loved his partner Amanda deeply, and she spent their final months together sailing with him through rough seas and pirate waters safe to say she loved him in return.
He had so many friends and he spent so many hours: encouraging them, mentoring them, pushing them gently but firmly to something more. Zach was a relentless optimist. Zach reminded us to try to be that way, too. Whoop Whoop!
He is all those big things. He is even more.
But to love someone is to also see beyond the headlines and know the details.
The avocado socks and skater punk shoes. The appreciation for a margarita, good or bad. Dancing in the grocery store. A passion for maple bars. An uncanny emotional intuition, a commitment to standing up for the little guy. His famous salmon. Midnight peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The way he scrunched his face when he was thinking. His specialized set of skills could have taken us through Armageddon but instead just brought us closer to him.
If life were fair, Zach would still be with us now. And if Zach was with us now, he'd say "well too bad, life isn't fair" with the biggest smile you've ever seen. As usual, Zach was right.
Life isn't fair, and Zach isn't here. But he will also never be gone.
In his life, he reached his arms out so wide, even wider than his smile - around his kids, around his family, around Amanda, around his friends. His arms fit around everyone he met, every life he touched, every heart he held.
When we need a lift, a nudge, a reminder to do the hard things even if we get tired. Even when we are discouraged. Even if we get cancer. When we need him, Zach is here.
Poetry by: L. Clark
Gatherings to remember Zach, share stories and pictures, cry, laugh, and hug will be held in both Marquette and Hilo, Hawaii. The Celebration of Life in Marquette will be held from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM on Sunday, October 29th at Barrel and Beam. Services to be held in Hilo will be announced at a later date. Memorial contributions may be directed to Zach's memory to Cancer Care of Marquette County, at cancercaremqt.com.
Zach's memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com