Gerald Clarence Pratt

Gerald Clarence Pratt was born April 26, 1932 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Albert Lenox Pratt and Geniel Braithwaite. He was the youngest son of 3 boys. He loved his brothers, Robert L. Pratt and William R. Pratt who preceded him. He looked up to his brothers and they were great friends! Jerry passed away August 21, 2026. We are sure his family rejoiced in being together again. He was also reunited with his oldest son Todd Dirk Struan Pratt who passed away August 9, 2022. We know it was a joyful reunion!

He was better known as Jerry to his family and friends.

He married his sweetheart, Marilyn LaRae Smith, September 11, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple. Today they would be celebrating their 74th wedding anniversary.

He served in the US Army and was stationed in Germany in the Black Forest during the Korean War. He served in the Signal Corp as a radio operator from 1952-1954.

One of our favorite stories from his service is when he talked about how scary it was in the Black Forest at night. He and his service companion could literally hear German soldiers all around them in the forest patrolling. They needed to sleep, so Jerry decided he would take the battery wires and hook it up to the antenna on his radio truck which put out approximately 50,000 V and used it as an alarm. They would sleep underneath the truck for protection. If anybody was to touch the truck, they would get a big jolt!

Jerry loved running. As a boy he used to run from his house on 13th S. and 15th E. up to the Hogle Zoo and back, which was approximately 15 miles. He became such a good runner that while he was in the service, he used to train in his combat boots. Then when he would take his boots off and run in his running shoes, which back at that time were plain old Converse, he was really fast. In 1952, the world record for the mile was 4.02 minutes. They had a competition in the military base and he ran a 4.06 flat mile lapping the second-place runner. He was very close to a world class runner. He later ran for the University of Utah.

He was a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn LaRae Smith Pratt and children Rand Pratt (Tracy), Michelle Lindsey (Todd), Stephanie Urry (Rob), Suzette Smith (Mike, deceased) and Danielle Shaddick as well as 22 grandchildren and 55+ great grandchildren with a great-great grandchild on the way.

A graveside service will be held Friday, September 11 at 11:00 a.m. at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E 10600 S, Sandy, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the graveside from 10:00-10:45 a.m. at the same location.