Ronald Lee Pratt

Ron Pratt, longtime resident of North Idaho, passed away Saturday, September 13, 2014 at his home in Sagle, Idaho after a long battle with cancer. He was 74. Ron, who moved to Cocolalla, Idaho in 1949 will be missed by his family and many friends who loved him for: his quick and ready wit, his countless stories and viewpoints on life which cleverly provided many a life lesson; and the sparkle he had in his beautiful blue eyes; especially when his wife Brenda entered the room. Ron was the type of man who was greatly interested in other people. He was always ready to share a drink, whether it be coffee, beer, or whiskey, while sitting down and “BSing.” He did not stop at just talking. He was the type of man whose actions spoke louder than words and whenever needed he would happily help out his neighbors, friends and family. Ron was a lifelong learner and teacher and a father figure to many people beyond his family. He knew about many subjects and would often be called upon for advice. He was referred to as the walking encyclopedia and never used Google because he did not need to! While raising his daughters, he taught them the virtues that he had learned from his parents; be a man of your word, stick up for yourself, an honest days pay for an honest days work, waste not want not, and when the going gets tough the tough get going. These were not just his sayings but the way he lived his life. Ron had a love of fishing and hunting his entire life and was born into a family of the same. He first started fishing with his dad, brother and uncles in Wadena, MN, where he was born. He was grateful to take several fishing trips with his friends and family during his last summer in North Idaho. He loved “blue backing” and will long be remembered for his delicious smoked fish which he loved to share with others. For several years, during the 1970’s and 1980’s, he took annual hunting trips to the St Joe River with several friends. He always looked forward to these trips and the good times he had. He was in charge of making breakfast for the guys and was a great Flap Jack Chef. Upon his returning from these trips he always had stories to tell about the good times that were had. Certainly there were some stories that were not shared around the dinner table since what happens at camp, stays in camp. Ron also took pleasure in playing games. He loved his crossword puzzles and would frequently complete one or more every day. For the past 10 years, he scheduled his day around his daily cribbage game at the Boondox. He enjoyed playing Yahtze with Brenda and their friends. Ron had many talents and enjoyed several vocations in his life. He was a talented accordion player who played in a ”lil country band” with close friends from the late 1950’s until the mid 1980’s. While he could read music, he did not need to. He always said he just played it by ear. After graduating from Sandpoint High School in 1958, he served in the U.S. Army, worked in the silver mines in Kellogg, ID, and was a farmer, logger and truck driver. He was a simple man who was content to lead a simple life. Ron was preceded in death by his parents John and Emma Pratt and a daughter Kimberly. He is survived by his wife Brenda Pratt of Sagle, ID; siblings Bob Pratt of Grand Junction, CO; Pat (John) Zuanich of Lake Stevens, WA; daughters Rhonda (Matt) Poole of Coeur d’Alene, ID; Colleen (Dave) Baker of Folsom, CA; step daughters Lacey Render of San Diego, CA; Misty Render of Sandpoint, ID; grandchildren Brandon, Shayla, Alyssa, Jacob, Arianna and Dylan. Five great grandchildren and his trusty dog Mattie. A celebrations of life will be held Saturday, September 20th at 11:00 am at the Cocolalla Community Hall 4296 Cocolalla Loop Road, Cocolalla, Idaho. In lieu of flowers the family requests you write a letter to your local news editor. Ron could always think beyond political correctness and enjoyed reading others opinions.