David Jerome Pratt

He was born Oct. 27, 1956 to Thomas and Suzanne Pratt in Olean, NY. He attended Olean schools until 1968 when the family moved to Hamburg, NY. A 1974 graduate of Hamburg High School, he played soccer as a fullback on defense and trombone in the HHS Band. He had fond memories of many summers spent with his brothers and sisters at their grandmother's cottage at Cuba Lake, NY.

After attending St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, David began his career in the US Senate as a legislative assistant on the Democratic Policy Committee in 1977. He concluded his work in public service in 1987 after serving two years as Secretary for the Majority. Afterwards, he moved on to a career as a financial executive with the American Insurance Association and Columbus Newport Group in Arlington, VA, and later with M-CAM Global Holdings. in Charlottesville, VA.

While in Charlottesville, he led Scout Troop 114 in Ivy. He loved camping with them every summer at Camp Shenandoah near Swoope, VA. He also served as Ceremonies Advisor of Shenandoah Lodge 258 of the Order of the Arrow and led the lodge to several National Honor medal achievements at the National Order of the Arrow Conference. David wished to be remembered by his Order of the Arrow Vigil name Aspennumen Nimat, translated from the Lenni Lenape as “He Who Lifts Up Brothers.”

In 2018, David retired to Oro Valley, AZ, north of Tucson, where he enjoyed hiking the many trails of the Catalinas, cheering on the Buffalo Bills in the family group chat, and relaxing in the sun with his three cats Haiku, Gila, and George.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Suzanne, father, Tom, stepmother, Alice, and nephew Kyle Colello. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Tucson, AZ; children Conor, of Tucson, and Corrin, of Charlottesville, VA; his nine siblings, Mary Jane (Don) Selle of Spring Branch, TX, Susan (Bob) Borsh of Bryan, TX, Mark (Debi) Colello of Orchard Park, NY, Bob (Sunny) Pratt of Far Hills, NJ, Sharon Gruitza of Sharon, PA, Paul (Holly) Colello of Dublin, OH, Michael (Maria) Pratt of King of Prussia, PA, Mary Alice (Jeff) Heston of Mt. Juliet, TN, and Carolyn (Greg) Fiume of Odenton, MD; his maternal aunt, Jane (Ray) Sader of Cuba, NY and many nieces and nephews.

At his request, no memorial service will be held. To write a condolence or share a memory about David, please visit neptunesociety.com. Contributions in remembrance of him may be made to the Virginia Headwaters Council at virginiaheadwaters.org/giving/ or to the Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT at bestfriends.org