Under a crescent moon, on the evening of August 13, 2026, Texas lost one of its dearest sons, Arthur Charles Pratt. He was born on May 23rd, 1941, to Arthur Pratt, Sr, and Lytle Jo Pratt (Seward) in Lampasas, Texas, USA. He lived and thrived his entire life in the State and Country that he loved. “Charlie” was the eldest of the notorious Pratt Boys gang of Navasota and after raising sufficient mischief with his brother, Phillip, and graduating from its schools, Charles moved to Huntsville, TX to attend Sam Houston University. This formative period of his life in Huntsville included his undergraduate degree in Business (1965), the marriage to his first wife, Linda Dean, and the birth of their daughter, Angela.
Charles grew up during the heyday of rock and roll, fast cars, and happy days. He enjoyed the new music of Elvis from his car radio and delighted in the guttural sound of a big V-8 clearing its throat as it roared down a country road. As Charles was coming of age, the US was entering the Space Age. Seizing opportunity, he gathered up his new family and moved to the Clear Lake-area to join the race to the moon. Charles quickly found his place supporting Test Operations with the Power and Propulsion team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center assisting in the development of the Apollo spacecraft. In addition to landing a man on the moon, Charles landed another milestone when he married Gaye Wynn in 1975. Charlie worked with NASA until his retirement in 1995 with mementos of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs tacked to his wall.
Retirement brought Charlie and Gaye to their beloved Endovalley ranch near Willis, TX where he lived for his remaining days managing the acreage, fine tuning his chili and brisket recipes, and planning his next Pratt Boys Road Trip. Charles was never one to be in a hurry and soaked in life’s pleasures as they sauntered by - and in doing so, he took the Texas “mosey” to a whole new level. Memories of his voice and style will be held tightly in our hearts and deeply missed. In his passing, he has surely been welcomed home by his parents, Arthur and Jo, and reunited with his beloved Gaye. And no doubt, his brother Phil is already waiting with a classic convertible, top down, ready for the Pratt Boys to set out on one more road trip – a never-ending ride down Route 66.
Charles Pratt was preceded in death by his parents Arthur and Lytle Jo Pratt, his brother Phillip, his wife Gaye Pratt, and sons Danny and Billy Wynn. He is survived by his first wife and longtime friend, Linda Look; daughters Angela (Reg) Berka of Houston, Dyane (Tom) Magliolo of Willis, and son Wesley Wynn. He was a beloved grandfather for Allicyn Berka (Andrew Williams), Ben Berka (Abbey), Corynn Berka (Austen Whitaker), Steven Coleman (Rachel), Christy Hyett, Matt Cole (Serina), and Shandy Wynn Lecourias. Charles is also survived by 18 great grandchildren with two more on the way, and 5 great-great grandchildren.
A Memorial Gathering will be held at Metcalf Funeral Directors, 1801 E White Oak Terrace, Conroe, Texas, on August 22, 2026, at 10:00 am, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:00 am.
Final resting place will be at Old Waverly Cemetery in New Waverly.
Those serving as pallbearers are Ben Berka, Austen Whitaker, Steven Coleman, Ryan Coleman, Brett Coleman, and Ethan Coleman.
Immediately following the burial, family and friends are invited to gather for a barbecue luncheon at the family home in Willis. Everyone is welcome to join us as we share a meal, memories, and time together in celebration of A.C.’s life.
To help us plan for the luncheon, we would appreciate an RSVP by Wednesday from those who plan to attend. Please RSVP to Dyane at 281-543-7763.
