Born in Jérémie, Haiti on February 23, 1962, Alexandra was the last child of her parents, Ghislaine Sansaricq Pratt and Lucien Georges Pratt. Beloved sister to Colette and Reynold Pratt, Primrose Tishman, and Marie-Hélène Bricknell, and beloved aunt to Marija Bricknell, she was esteemed and loved by her family and friends.
Alexandra was born at a difficult period in her country’s history. Her father was arrested and passed away just one week after her birth. This tragedy was followed by the massacre that took the lives of her aunt and cousins when she was two years old. Her immediate family was compelled to go into hiding so as to avoid also becoming victims of the Duvalier regime. Alexandra came to the United States at the age of six and immediately went with her older sisters to boarding school.
Alexandra was a very good student and a voracious reader from a tender age. This passion for reading sustained her throughout her life and was a source of solace in the face of life’s challenges. She had a knack for finding eclectic titles and was very thoughtful in selecting books as gifts to her many friends. In addition to reading, Alexandra’s other passions were traveling and good food. She maintained her interest in good books and food until the very end, even when her illness prevented her from reading and eating.
A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Alexandra had a rich professional career with varied stints in journalism, communications, and as adviser to Landmark Construction on historic preservation and researcher for a film about two Indian ballet dancers. She enjoyed this work, for it allowed her to work from home during the pandemic.
Alexandra was in her element when she was writing and researching for documentary films or supporting international development projects in the field. She lived and worked in Albania, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen, where she led communications teams or reported on development initiatives. She worked on a range of media projects for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and the PBS series “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly”. Her success in these endeavors was greatly appreciated by her supervisors and co-workers.
Alexandra lit up a room when she walked in. Her inner beauty radiated through her reserved and dignified ways. She was very bright, kind, and had great empathy, opting always to see the good in everyone. She was thoughtful, making certain to remember everyone’s birthdays with carefully selected gifts. In everything a woman of great integrity, she was loved by all who knew her.
Alexandra was very generous and financially supported a few of her former staff in Yemen after the war broke out. She fretted about their safety, often staying up late into the night to try to make contact and ensure that they remained safe. She harbored the hope that she could help getting them evacuated.
Alexandra was an adept conversationalist, full of ideas and insights about the world due to her extensive travels and interest in world affairs. In addition, she loved music, films, bookstores, and was a frequent visitor to the art museums of New York City and Washington DC prior to the pandemic. She often called after visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when she lived in New York, to relate enthusiastically her impressions of a great exhibit, a concert or a lecture she had just attended. Ever the journalist, she loved to be the first to announce the latest “breaking news.”
Alexandra lived a full life and was surrounded by the love of her family and friends as she struggled against a devastating illness. She bore her suffering with courage and never complained. She appreciated the support she received while fighting for her life with grace and exemplary dignity.
We will miss you, our beloved little sister, aunt, niece, cousin and friend.
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