Henry Lowe Pruitt

Henry Lowe Pruitt, engineer, veteran, and devoted family man, peacefully passed into eternal rest on January 20, 2026, in Tampa, Florida at the age of 96 at home with his beloved wife of 72 years by his side.

Born in 1929, in Miami, Florida, to Frank O. Pruitt and Martha L. Pruitt. Henry graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1947 and earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1951, receiving a reserve commission in the United States Marine Corps. Shortly after graduation, he was called to active duty serving in Korea as a 1st Lt Platoon Commander in the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division earning a Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant and Combat ‘V’ for his leadership and resourcefulness under fire.

After the war, Henry returned to Miami to marry the love of his life Mary “Sister” Barns and start a family. In 1956, he joined Nat G. Harrison Overseas Corp., where he contributed to the construction of offshore missile tracking stations. Rising to the position of Vice President, he oversaw projects in Guantanamo, the Leeward Islands, and the Bahamas. In 1976, he founded H.L. Pruitt Corp. In 1979, the company relocated to Orlando and specialized in airport lighting installations. Henry developed unique equipment and techniques for installing in-pavement runway lights, building a successful business. H.L. Pruitt Corp., still a leader in the airport lighting field, is now owned by Henry’s son, Frank Pruitt. For his accomplishments in the field, Henry was inducted into the Georgia Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Hall of Fame.

In Miami, Henry had been a member of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club since 1959 serving as Commodore 1977-78. He enjoyed sailing, racing, and cruising South Florida and the Bahamas with his family and many friends. He was also a member of the Camarilla Club and University Club.

In 1979, Henry and Mary moved to a citrus grove outside of Orlando. When the grove suffered a hard freeze, Henry resourcefully transitioned to a small ranch of 12 head of cattle including 1 bull named BS (Big Shot, of course), horses, Oriental and Polish chickens, and even a pig. He was always accompanied by his faithful bluetick coonhound, Charles.

In 2000, Henry and Mary moved to Stuart, Florida and resumed life on the water. They especially enjoyed time with grandchildren cruising the Bahamas on their trawler.

With his quiet nature and mechanical ingenuity, Henry was an excellent listener who could fix or build almost anything.

He is predeceased by his brothers Frank O. Pruitt, Jr. and Peter T. Pruitt, and daughter-in-law Donna Pruitt.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Barns Pruitt; his children: Lowe Pruitt (Maria), Paul Pruitt, Victoria “Tori” Pruitt White, Allison Murray (Michael), and Frank Pruitt (Cindy); his former daughters-in-law: Dorte Pruitt Moyles and Jennifer Pruitt; his eight grandchildren: Aleksander, Astrid, Jennifer, Michael, Kristen, Abbey, Tommy, and Sarah; and his ten great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 28th at 11:30 am, First Presbyterian Church, 3302 W Horatio St, Tampa, FL. A Committal Service with military honors will be held Monday, March 2nd at 1pm at the South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 FL-7, Wellington, FL.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. (Please note that the gift is in memory of Henry L. Pruitt ME ’51 for the Mary B. and Henry L. Pruitt Endowment Fund in the School of Mechanical Engineering). These funds support biomedical engineering research. Mail checks to the Georgia Tech Foundation, 760 Spring Street NW., Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30308. To make a gift online, go to

https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/new

or to The Salvation Army.

The family extends special thanks to Diana Ramirez whose winsome smile and thoughtful attention made Henry’s final years so pleasant, and to Geneva and Maria with Aegean Home Care for their ever faithful, kindhearted care.