Arthur William Pratt

Arthur William PRATT Born on September 23, 1925, passed away into the loving care of our Lord God on May 5, 2006 at his home in Bellevue, WA. Bill was born and raised in Seattle where he attended Stevens Elementary School, Garfield High School, and graduated from the University of Washington in 1949. He married Eileen Berry in 1950 and they spent 56 wonderful years together in Bellevue. They had four sons: Larry and wife, Rosalind, live in Boston, MA with their children, Ian, Anjali, Henry and Wendy; Daryl (now deceased); Charlie and wife, Judy, live in Redmond with their children, Jason and Jeffrey; and Alan and wife, Helen, live in Bellevue with their children, Jennifer, Michelle and Michael. Bill's brother, Sanders Pratt and wife, Letha, also live in Bellevue. Bill expressed interest in boats at a very early age joining the Seattle Yacht Club at age 17 where he later became a lifetime member. He started building his first boat, a 12-foot sloop, for his shop class at Stevens elementary school. Later in high school he built a 22-foot cruiser called the Funzafire. While in college, he designed and built a 36-foot cabin cruise and called it the Esperanza. In 1956, he and Eileen purchased a 40-foot Matthews cruiser called the Coho. The entire family cruised together on all the waters of Puget Sound and the Canadian Gulf Islands. In 1971, they purchased their dream boat, a 52-foot Matthews cruiser called the "Newport Belle and it was their summer home for family and friends through 2005. He spent his entire business career of 40 years as a securities salesman, beginning with the Pacific Northwest Company office in Seattle which later became Kidder Peabody. After retiring in 1990, Bill and Eileen became world travelers, completing 82 cruises and visiting 113 countries. He was an active member of the Seattle Rotary Club and maintained a record of 100% attendance until recently. He also was a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity, The Rainier Club, and the Seattle Tennis Club. Bill and Eileen loved to snow ski and enjoyed skiing together in Colorado for more than 35 years. Bill was a humble, kind, loving, caring and very generous man who wanted to be of service in any way he could. Being philanthropic became very important to him in the latter years of his life. He felt strongly about giving back to organizations whose mission and purpose matched his personal and moral values. He also encouraged others to do the same. He also strongly believed in education and together, Bill and Eileen established college trust funds for all 9 of their grandchildren. He will be missed by many. At his request, no services will be held. However, a Celebration of Bill's Life will be held on June 10th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Seattle Yacht Club, 1807 East Hamlin Street, Seattle, WA 98112 for all those who would like to attend. Donations in his memory may be made to the Seattle Rotary Foundation and the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 801 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Bellevue, WA 98004.