Herbert “Herb” Henry Pratt, 92, recently of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, passed away in Nashua, NH after a brief illness.Until August, 2017, he was a resident of The Gables Assisted Living and remained active in social activities including Fitchburg East Rotary and was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Born on November 28, 1924 to Waneta Matilda Morse Pratt and Herbert Henry Pratt, Sr., Herb was raised in Pine Bush, New York.He finished high school early and worked as a machinist in 1941, then joined the US Navy in 1942, studied at officer schools in Chicago and Texas, and saw action in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.He was honorably discharged in 1945.

After the war, he returned to New York state and earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Siena College in Loudonville, NY.During that time, he played on the Siena College basketball and soccer teams.At one soccer match, he met Frances Baker, whom he was married to from April,1951 toJuly, 1976.Their daughter, Linda, was born in 1958.

Herb had a long and successful career with General Electric, first as a draftsman in Schenectady, New York, then as a Human Resources manager in Pittsfield, Massachusetts;Bangor, Maine and finally in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, retiring in the mid-1980’s.

While in Bangor, he often travelled to General Electric’s offices in Fitchburg for meetings.There, in the fall of 1976, he was invited to a company party, met Sophie Riegert and asked her to dance. This began their love story.Herb and Sophie married a few years later – a marriage that lasted over 30 years until her death in 2012.

Herb was an Active Senior member of the Fitchburg East Rotary and of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church.He enjoyed being part of the community at The Gables Assisted Living in Fitchburg and made many friends there.The last few weeks of his life were enjoyably spent at Langdon Place Assisted Living in Nashua, NH.

Besides his daughter, he leaves his niece Sandra (Roger) Larsen, nephew Richard (Pamela) Pratt, and their children and grandchildren; cousins Daniel (Jody Wise) Fallon; Joan Morse, Emerson III (Peggy), Carl (Lorraine) and Tom (Debbie) Morse, and their children and grandchildren.He also leaves his beloved sister-in-law Bella Wilkenbach and nephew John Ghenes, Jr. and many dear friends, including Father William and MaryMatthis and Ralph and Irene Fortin.

Herb’s joys in life were simple - reading good books about historical fiction, tending his gardens, making rice pilaf at the Greek Festival,enjoying the company of his friends and family, and ending the evening with a cherry-accented Manhattan or glass of fortified wine

A visitation period will be held on Thursday November 16, in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1419 Main St. from 9:30 to 11:00 A.M.followed by a service at 11:A.M.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, or to shelterboxusa.com.

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