Obituary of James D. Pratt

James D. Pratt, 90, a long-time resident of Wappingers Falls, NY, passed away on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 with his beloved wife at his side.

Jim was born in Northampton, MA, son of John Malcolm and Florence K. Pratt.  During the Depression, the family moved back to Philadelphia, PA and were supported by their close-knit Quaker family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  He earned a BS in Physics at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.  In his early career, he worked at the Board of Health and Honeywell in Florida and the RCA Corporation in the Philadelphia area.  After marrying Stephanie, they relocated to Poughkeepsie, NY as Jim began his 28-year career as an Engineer at IBM.  Along with world-wide travel and challenging assignments, Jim received many awards including several US Patents.

Jim enjoyed music, art, tennis and he had a love of cars and pets.  With his beautiful tenor voice, Jim and Stephanie sang in numerous choral organizations, including the choirs at First Presbyterian Church, the Freedom Plains United Presbyterian Church, the Poughkeepsie Mixed Chorus and the IBM Mixed Chorus.  Jim sang at Carnegie Hall several times as a member of the Camerata Chorale, and he was a member of the Golden Age Singing Society (GASS).  He also served on the volunteer Board of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Society.  Always young at heart, Jim took up watercolor painting later in life.  He loved to create art and sand castings for his family and friends, and he displayed his paintings at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center.

Throughout his life, Jim loved boating and spending time at the ocean. He was the oldest and longest-serving member of the New Hamburg Yacht Club.  He and his family and friends spent many happy times exploring and water-skiing on his beloved Hudson River.  The family vacationed annually in Ocean City NJ, Newport RI, Bar Harbor ME and Long Boat Key FL.

Whether he was with a friend, co-worker, or family member, Jim was the eternal optimist and brought joy to everyone he met.  In his later years, he delighted in helping people by doing odd jobs, and he enjoyed spending time with his wide circle of friends. He and Stephanie took great pleasure in travel, visiting destinations such as Hawaii, Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, and Israel.

He is survived by his loving family:  wife of 58 years Stephanie, daughters Kimberly (David) Danielson of Rockville, MD, Jennifer (James) Ryan of Ashburn, VA and Melissa (Timothy) Nevins of Poughkeepsie, NY and his brother Thomas (Candace) Pratt of Wayne, PA.  Jim adored his four grandchildren:  Nicholas and Parker Nevins, Troy Ryan, and Julianne Danielson, as well as his nephew, James Pratt.

Family will receive friends on Friday, October 22, 2021 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM at Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home at 371 Hooker Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603.  A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 1:00 PM at the Freedom Plains United Presbyterian Church, 1168 State Rte 55, Lagrangeville, NY  12540.  In order to ensure the safety of all, the family has requested that masks be worn at all times when inside the funeral home and the church.

The family expresses appreciation to the ICU and 4^th Floor staff of Vassar and the Fresenius teams for their loving care.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Kidney Foundation or the Freedom Plains United Presbyterian Church. To send online condolences, please visit www.doylefuneralhome.com

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE FUNERAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2021 at 1pm HAVE BEEN POSTPOND UNTIL A LATER DATE