Sapper Kenneth John Pratt (Ret’d)

We regret to advise of the death of Sapper Kenneth John Pratt (Ret’d) in Smithers, BC on 15 December 2014 in his 96^th year. Born in Moose Jaw SK, Ken moved to Fort Fraser with his father as a child and worked in sawmills, trucking and horse logging around Fraser Lake until volunteering for military service in 1940. As a Sapper in 7^th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, Ken participated in the Dieppe Raid and Operation Overlord (Battle for Caen and Falaise Pocket) through to the liberation of France and Holland in 1945. In recognition of this service, Ken was awarded the French National Order of the Legion of Honour.

After the end of the war Ken returned to British Columbia and worked as a logger, longshoreman, heavy duty machine operator and mechanic. He founded K Pratt Logging Company and Aabro Logging with camps along the BC coast over the years. He was a licensed hunting guide and outfitter in the Rainbow Mountains. Ken moved to Smithers in 1998 and continued working the placer claim in the Yukon with his wife Pen for many years.

An informal gathering for friends will be held at 1:00 pm on 3 January 2015 at RA Schrader Funeral Home 1239 Queen St. Smithers.^{khMay2016}