Dr. Vaughan Malcolm Pruitt Sr.

“With God, nothing is impossible.” That is what Dr. Vaughan Malcolm Pruitt Sr. believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Vaughan thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Vaughan was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

On October 9, 1941, Vaughan was born to James Malcolm and Lessie Catherine Pruitt in Memphis Tennessee. He spent his first 18 years in Memphis. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Vaughan could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Vaughan's family relationships. Vaughan was raised with 3 siblings. He had one brother, Tyndall, and two sisters, Candice and Janice. Tyndall and Janice preceded him in death.

As a young boy, Vaughan was curious, resourceful, and interested in anything original. Vaughan took part in baseball and wanted to be a Major League baseball player, but God had other plans for him. As a child, he was a Scout and took tap dancing lessons for eight years. When he had to make a choice between tap dancing and baseball, his heart chose baseball. Vaughan's memorable achievements included dancing in Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN, and playing in a baseball game with Tim McCarver, who later became a major league baseball player and TV sports announcer. He also took part in a teen dance program on local TV.

Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, Vaughan enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. Vaughan was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He graduated from White Station High School in 1959. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were History and English. He was a member of the Key Club. Vaughan also shared devotional duties in homeroom and played baseball every year of high school.

Because he was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, Vaughan performed well in college. He was always on a quest for knowledge and he relished the experience. He always wanted to understand but could be judgmental at times when he thought he was right. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in History from Union University, Jackson, TN in 1964. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Master of Divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO in 1972 and a Doctor of Theological Degree from Slidell Baptist Seminary in Slidell, LA in 2001. His favorite courses were Bible classes in the New Testament. His favorite professor was Dr. Charles Taylor and Dr. Hiram Barefoot, Bible Professors. Vaughan was Freshman Devotional Chairman of the Baptist Student Union (BSU) and President of the Life Service Band, a mission outreach organization. It was in Life Service Band that he met Barbara. He was also a member of the Ministerial Alliance, an organization for students studying for the gospel ministry.

Vaughan was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was always willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends’ activities and interests, Vaughan was also ready to share his hopes and dreams with them. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Vaughan to be very stimulating company. Vaughan's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. While growing up, some of his best friends were Delbert Coggins and Jimmy Busby. Later in life, he became friends with Wes and Shirley Hundley, Tom and Vicki Rogers, and Bill and Joyce Brown.

On September 1, 1961 Vaughan exchanged wedding vows with Barbara Wyatt at Boekerton Baptist Church at Portageville, Missouri. Vaughan was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. He looked upon life with Barbara as a team effort. Vaughan was one who was able to bring out the best in others. Vaughan was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to his spouse’s needs. He was a vibrant personality and he enjoyed verbally sparring with Barbara. Vaughan was set in his beliefs but was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Barbara's.

Vaughan's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced his relationship with his children. He often had them involved in his creative projects. Vaughan was blessed with two sons, Vaughan Malcolm Pruitt, Jr. and Michael Lynn Pruitt. They were also blessed with five grandchildren and two great grandchildren, grandchildren Natasha Marie Pruitt, Marcus Vaughan Pruitt, Mystique Angel Davis, Stevie Loveridge, & Christine Wasiewski, great grandchildren Caden Wasiewski and Dante Loveridge. Someone who was quick to laugh, Vaughan found it enjoyable to spend time with his children, but he could be bossy if he thought they were not making good decisions.

As a born inventor, Vaughan was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Vaughan was a good administrator with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Vaughan was always good at getting a new project started. His primary occupations were a minister, pastor, prayer teacher. For 50 years he was a pastor but also taught high school English and worked as a security guard on occasion. Vaughan always made an effort to be a team player, doing what was needed in order to get the job done.

Vaughan's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Vaughan was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Vaughan simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His love for ministry to others often prevented time for leisure activities. His favorite pursuits were collecting Nutcracker dolls and model train sets.

Vaughan's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served him well in sports. In high school, Vaughan played BASEBALL! In his own words, he "breathed, lived, and slept baseball". He wanted to be a Major League baseball player, but obeyed God by entering the pastoral ministry. In his college years, Vaughan continued to stay active by playing intramural volleyball and bowling. Vaughan was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, basketball, and football.

Vaughan's talents were well suited for being actively involved in professional and community organizations, something he did throughout his life. He enjoyed being involved and was willing to jump in and help out in most any situation. Vaughan could bring a breath of fresh air to any organization, simply by introducing his novel ideas and problem solving strategies. In high school, Vaughan was a member of the Key Club, a youth branch of the Kiwanas club. In college, Vaughan joined the Baptist Student Union, Ministerial Association, Life Service Band Missions Organization, and College Choir. Throughout his later years, Vaughan was an active member of the Lions Club, and Kiwanas Club.

Vaughan was continually concerned with the status of local, national and even world affairs. His keen interest and strong values led him to become active in his community. He took an active part in the Kiwanis Club and Lions Club as a member and program chairman. Politically, Vaughan was a Republican and in later years, an Independent. He planned to re-register as a Republican to vote in the upcoming Primary elections.

Faith and religion were important to Vaughan. He was a member of various Baptist Churches for more than 55 years. During that time, he was a minister of the gospel proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord.

With all of his talents, his ingenuity, his solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that Vaughan received public recognition for his competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, Vaughan accumulated a long list of achievements throughout his life. In college, he was a medal co-winner of the Strickland Oratorical Contest. His speech was original; the other guy "gave a book report of a popular book".

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Vaughan. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Vaughan to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. He and Barbara took a "second honeymoon" vacation to Jamaica in 1983. Favorite vacations included camping in the mountains and woods.

Vaughan was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Vaughan's favorite pets as a child, was a dog named Mustard, a mongrel. He played ball with the dog, saying "Ketchup, Mustard!". They were best friends for several years. He had another dog named Joe, and for more than the past 20 years he and Barbara have had miniature schnauzers.

Vaughan retired in August 2005. Even while in retirement, Vaughan never stopped exercising his inventive talents, and this new phase of his life provided new opportunities for stimulating his interests. In January 2009, he resumed pastoring the Dobbins Road Chrisitan Fellowship to complete a building project that began 6 years before. The project was completed in May, 2010, one month prior to his passing. He continued to teach prayer class in various churches. Most of his material he developed from personal bible study regarding Jesus' teachings on prayer. Also, he wrote short stories regarding his baseball days. Those who read his stories enjoyed his colorful writing style. Even in retirement, Vaughan continued to stay in touch with his old friends, and while making plenty of new acquaintances, he was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Vaughan passed away on June 20, 2010 at Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona. He is survived by his wife Barbara; two sons, Vaughan Jr. and Mike; and grandchildren Natasha, Marcus, Misty, Stevie, and Christine,. His great grandchildren were Caiden and Dante. A funeral service was held at Melcher Mortuary Mission Chapel, Mesa, Arizona on Friday, June 25, 2010. Those who spoke expressed the tremendous influence Vaughan had had on their life and will truly miss his joyous, vibrant personality.

During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Vaughan. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Vaughan was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Vaughan, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Dr. Vaughan Malcolm Pruitt Sr., the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge. His dream of establishing a prayer camp was never fulfilled, but his challenge to have a creative mind will never be forgotten by those who knew him well.