The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN icon Cynthia “Mother” Pratt and her family are mourning the death of her second son.

Don Pratt, 55, died on Tuesday morning after developing the flu while on dialysis.

Mother Pratt, former deputy prime minister, described him yesterday as someone who impacted the lives of thousands.

“As a former teacher he taught so many people in the high school as well as in BTVI and now he’s been responsible for the computer information system area where he taught the government employees how to operate the computer,” she said. “People were so excited about that because they got to learn about the computer and be effective in their day-to-day work. Don has always been a church man, of course, a pastor at Evangelistic Centre, an assistant to Pastor Hamilton of course, and he was there for many years and impacted many lives through the ministry.

“Being a community-minded person, he always demonstrated what it is to be a man, to be a leader, to be a father, which is very rare today because you could almost count them when it comes to being a father in the home. He was married to Abigail, his wife, and they have three children, Don Jr, Ronnie and Dunia, two boys and one girl. It’s fortunate that both of them are out of high school, the two boys, and it’s only Dunia in Temple Christian. The family is taking this very hard, especially my daughter Nicky and brother Juan because we are a closely knitted family.”

Julian Pratt, Mother Pratt’s fifth child, said his bond with his brother formed an important part of his life.

“He helped to raise us,” he said. “My mother and father were involved in a lot of sports and Don and Barry were the ones who had to look out for the younger ones. Everything I know, ironing, washing, cleaning up after myself, they taught me and they did the cooking. When mummy went to college he was instrumental in keeping the family together. He looked out for the younger ones. He just was an easy going guy, he wasn’t argumentative, he didn’t have anything negative to say.”

Mr Pratt’s funeral is on November 24.