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Obituary for JAMES NATHANIEL PRATT
James Nathaniel Pratt, Jr. was born November 12, 1948, in Owensville, Maryland to the late James N. Pratt, Sr., and Frances Delano Pratt. He departed this life at home in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 14, 2014.
James grew up at Carter’s United Methodist Church and spent many years learning about the bible and was baptized at an early age. At Carter’s, he grew to know and loved the Lord. He also attended The Living Word Baptist Church in Indianapolis. James graduated from Bates Sr. High School, Annapolis, Maryland, in 1966 where he was a proud band member. He learned to play the trombone at a young age, and later became a Master Trombone player. He later joined the United States Army where he traveled around the world, and became Bandmaster, traveling and performing at various Army ceremonial events and festivals. While on tour in Alaska, he met and married Susan Lipschultz, and from that union, two beautiful children were born, Yale Pratt (deceased) and Allision Pratt, who lives in Playa del Rey, California. James was dedicated to his family, and loved his children dearly.
He retired from the Army after 20 years of service and returned to Indianapolis, Indiana, a city where he and his family had once been stationed. Later, he accepted a position with the state, and became supervisor in the department of Maintenance Engineering, where he was respected and loved by all. He continued his musical career by joining the Indianapolis Music Association and enjoyed participating in various musical venues throughout the Indiana and Chicago areas. He was quite orderly about everything – if he could not do things right – he did not do them at all. He loved trains and collected them from all over the world. He built a multi-rail train station – a station with beautiful rail cars, rail attendants, conductors, overnight cars, lights horns and beautiful train station art. He enjoyed watching the trains leave and return to the station, hearing the conductor call “All aboard”, just as if he were in Grand Central Station.
James leaves to cherish his memory, daughter, Allison Pratt, Mother, Frances Delano Pratt, Sister, Alice Pratt Adams (George), Brother, Elliott Haynie Young; Four nephews, Shawn Adams (Wilma), Malcolm Young, Myron Young and Marlon Young; One niece, Tonia Coates (Ronald) and two great niece, Kiara Coates and Mia Young, and a special adopted niece, Marcia Hicks.
He leaves a host of friends and relatives to also cherish his memories, including his neighbors, Janet, Pat, Joy and Chris; Pastor Reginald Fletcher (Vanessa), Mother Lucile Manley and special dear friends, Chris Moore and Patti Adams Bias. All who knew him will sorely miss James; to know him was to love him. He was affectionately known as Son, Dad, Brother, Jim, and friend.
