There are condolences waiting approval on Marie 's Tribute wall
Celebrating the life of Marie Bruen Prattis
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of
Marie .
This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate
the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate
to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Obituary for Marie Bruen Prattis
A Celebration of Life will for Marie's life will occur on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Viewing: 9:30 - 10:30 Service: 11 AM
Due to the COVID19 Pandemic IT IS MANDATORY THAT MASKS AND/OR FACE SHIELDS ARE WORN AT ALL TIMES. IN CASE YOU ARE UNABLE TO BRING A MASK, THEY WILL BE SUPPLIED ALONG WITH HAND SANITIZER.
The Obituary
On Wednesday, September 15th 2021, Marie Bruen Prattis was very gently and peacefully called home to be with the Lord and enter into eternal rest.
Marie was the youngest of four children born to Clara DePew James. She was born and raised in the small town of Washingtonville, NY, in a pastoral setting surrounded by extended family. Marie relished many aspects of her early life, including the fresh fruits and vegetables that she had easy access to picking and cooking, the community, and quiet atmosphere, and returned regularly to Washingtonville and Newburgh, NY to visit her mother, sister and brother-in-law and their family, and cousins, extended family and friends over the years. She attended public schools in Washingtonville, graduating from Washingtonville High School. Marie was a talented student and athlete, serving as a member of the girls' basketball team. She loved attending, watching and discussing sports, especially basketball, throughout her life. She especially enjoyed following her grandchildren’s sports from afar when she was not able to be there to see them in person.
After graduating from high school, Marie first came to the Philadelphia area to attend what was then known as Cheyney State Teachers College. While a student at Cheyney, Marie was awarded the Student Teaching Excellence Award. Also while at Cheyney, Marie became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from that institution in May 1952 and accepted a position as a licensed elementary school educator with the Philadelphia Public School System. Marie was a dedicated 4th grade teacher for over 30 years, receiving a citation from the City of Philadelphia upon her retirement. In that role Marie taught innumerable children to read, including her own, and to love to learn, notably at the Lamberton School where she was among the first African American teachers to serve in this capacity. In that era families shared holiday gifts with their teachers; she enjoyed sharing their gifts with her family as a part of our Christmas traditions. It was not unusual for her to be out and about, and to be approached by former students, now adults, with recognition and joy well after she retired from the classroom.
While working as a young teacher, she met her future husband, a young attorney named Lawrence Prattis. They were married in July of 1956, and the marriage lasted for almost 47 years until his passing in 2003. Their union was blessed with two children, Susan and David. Shortly after her marriage, Marie joined Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church. She has been a loyal member for over 65 years. Marie and Lawrence built a life partnership that included a roster of friends from Camphor and other religious institutions; from their educational affiliations and alumni institutions; from their respective professions in law and education; from their home neighborhoods; and from their activities with the Philadelphia Boule and other social organizations. She enjoyed travel, at first while as a young married couple to Puerto Rico and Venice, Italy; and later, to Montreal and Quebec, Canada, and the Jersey Shore. In retirement she traveled with Lawrence regularly to the Virgin Islands, where they also visited with friends; to the Southwest US; and with her friends, to the Caribbean and to Alaska. Marie was always a humble and frugal person throughout her life despite her travels.
From an early age she was influenced in Christ and music by her late mother Clara, who was a talented organist, pianist and deaconess in her church, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Newburg, NY. Marie loved music, serving as an alto member of Camphor’s Senior Choir for over 50 years under the direction of Dennis McNeil, with whom she also studied music, and later Mrs. Gloria Todd; and, filling her home with the sounds of Sunday morning gospel, and during brief stints as a stay-at-home mother, weekday afternoon jazz. She also enjoyed public affairs, reading several daily newspapers and listening enthusiastically to a collection of radio news and talk shows.
Since retiring several years ago, Marie dedicated her time to volunteer activities and her beloved Senior Choir. She loved children and volunteered as a classroom mentor after retirement, donated clothing and other items to local families and children within the Philadelphia area, and financially supported St. Jude's Research Hospital throughout her life. Marie rarely missed regular appointments with her talented hair stylists and loved supporting local seamstresses and Philadelphia clothing designers. She was admired for the beauty of her spirit, as well as for her classic style (including her hats, and hobby dolls), and warm, kind but straightforward demeanor. She was an active member of the Outreachers, a service organization made up of women of Camphor; the United Methodist Women; the American Association of Retired People chapter that was based at Camphor; Camphor Adult Bible Study; the Cheyney University Alumni Association; and a range of informal groups, including enjoying regular lunch dates with several classmates from Cheyney who were members of the teaching profession. A vibrant member of the River Park House condominium community, she had many friends there as well. She relished spending time with her two grandchildren who reside in Potomac Falls, Virginia, and enjoyed hearing about her children’s lives within the US and abroad. Although she did not have a pet later in life, she regularly asked after several canine grandchildren whose exploits were a constant source of amusement to her.
We treasured our warm, elegant and funny mother and grandmother, mourning her loss but celebrating the life that she led here. Marie Bruen Prattis was preceded in death by her husband, Judge Lawrence Prattis; sister, Eileen Calhoun (Leon); and brother, Emmet Bruen (Cynthia); Mother Clara DePew James; Niece Jamie Bruen; and Nephews Michael Calhoun and Leon Calhoun Jr; and from her husband’s family, James Peaco, Helen Hale, Sophia Webster King (Julian). She leaves to mourn with cherished memories: her Daughter, Susan; her Son, David, and his wife Traci; her two grandchildren, Lawrence Martin and Lauren Marie; her nephew, Tony Calhoun; her cousins, Karen Wilson and Phyllis Hale; and many cousins and dear friends.
