Ronald "Ron" Pratt

He will be missed greatly by Joanne (nee Holmes); their daughter, Shannon Phillips (Brian Phillips); son, Stephen Pratt (Rachael Williams); and grandchildren, Oliver and Isabel Phillips, and Eric and Ava Pratt. He will also be missed by his sister-in-law, Claire Pratt Stegen and her family; Joanne’s family, and many loved nieces, nephews and their children. Ron was predeceased by his parents, Frederick and Isabel; and his brother, Roy. Ron was immensely proud of his children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He was fond of all of their friends as well as Joanne’s. He tolerated the cats, horses and other small creatures that were part of his family over the years, but he loved the dogs.

Ron grew up in New Westminster, BC. In his youth, he was an avid baseball player and played Junior A hockey. He excelled academically and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of British Columbia where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Epsilon Fraternity. He later did an MBA at the Ivey Business School at Western University. At UBC and at Western, Ron made; lifelong, valued friends. After working at Dupont (Maitland), Ron moved to Toronto to join Xerox Canada, where he worked for 27 years, becoming a Vice-President and General Manager. After his retirement, he followed an interest in healthcare and served on the National Board of Directors of Osteoporosis Canada. Ron was later appointed to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario as a public member for many years. He found the issues interesting and challenging and had enormous respect for his colleagues.

Ron’s parents were keen tennis players and Ron developed an early love for the game, playing at Davisville in Toronto and for more than 50 years at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club. He played tennis into his eighties and also served on various committees at the Cricket Club. Special to him were his regular games and tournaments with his friends and his children. Ron was also an excellent bridge player who enjoyed duplicate and casual bridge. He was always happy to support his wife and her friends in their bridge endeavors. Ron loved golf, and with Joanne went to Hilton Head Island for 38 years for golf and tennis. They went to all of the Tennis Grand Slam Events and to the Ryder Cup Golf Tournament in Paris. Ron supported every Canadian golfer and tennis player with great enthusiasm. Ron and Joanne also travelled to support and cheer on good friends at marathons in Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris and Prague.

Ron loved his time on the St. Lawrence River at Joanne’s family cottage. He undertook several building projects, many with his nephew. Special time was spent reading on the dock, playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles, and teaching his older grandchildren how to mix martinis. At the cottage, he always said we had the best neighbours. Joanne and her children will never forget the comfort and support offered to Ron during his illness by very special friends.

Please raise a Gin Martini or an Irish Whiskey for a life well lived. Ron did not want a funeral. There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date. For more information please email [email protected].

If you wish to honour Ron with a donation, please consider the Philpott Children’s Tennis Charity to improve children’s access to tennis (formrenderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/philpott-childrens-tennis/in-memory-of-ron-pratt) or Les Médecins Sans Frontières (action.msf.ca/), which he supported for many years.