Obituary of Thomas A. Prater

Thomas Prater passed away after a short illness at the age of 92 on September 19, 2012. Thomas was preceded in death by his loving wife Mary, who passed away in 2010, his parents Lewis and Eliza Prater as well as brothers Sewart (Lewis) and Jack Prater and sister Katherine Froggatt. Tom and his family moved to Montana at an early age and received his elementary and secondary schooling in Butte, Montana. After graduating from high school he attended Montana School of Mines, receiving a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering in 1941. His next ten years were spent at Pennsylvania State University, first as a graduate student receiving his Master and Doctorate degrees, and later as an Assistant Professor of Metallurgy. He moved to Schenectady where he was employed at the General Electric Research & Development Center. He retired from G.E. in 1986 after 34 years of service. While in Schenectady he was active in many organizations including serving a variety of roles in the United Way, President of Schenectady ARC, Sunnyview Hospital Board Chairman, and Chairman of Senior Elfuns. Tom was also active in Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church where he served as a Sunday School teacher, trustee, and lay leader. After retirement he was a co-founder of the Senior Elfuns "Talking Book Repair Program" which he was actively involved in for over twenty two years. He is survived by his three children, Lewis of Scotia, John of Durham, North Carolina and Margaret of Schenectady. He is also survived by two granddaughters, Dana Plourde (Joseph) of Ashburn, Virginia and Holly Prater of Durham, North Carolina. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 2 o'clock at Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made in Tom's name to Sunnyview Hospital Foundation, 1270 Belmont Avenue, Schenectady, New York 12308. The family would like to thank the 4th Floor C Wing and the E1 I.C.U. at Ellis Hospital for their wonderful care and kindness.