Dorothy Pratt wove at Damascus Fiber Arts School for 15 or 20 years. When I met her, she was weaving Navajo designs and tapestries of birds. I learned that Dorothy was a lifetime bird watcher. She even had a life list of all those birds.
Dorothy and her husband of 64 years, Clayton, traveled the US in their RV. They spent summers in Oregon and elsewhere on the continent and spent winters being snowbirds in Arizona. While in Arizona, Clayton played golf and Dorothy took classes in pottery, making Kachina dolls and other crafts. Clayton passed away a few years ago.
Dorothy was an only child, both in 1925 in Illinois. Her daughter Jan lives in Maryland with her husband, I.J. They have a son and daughter. Daughter Candace lives in Oregon with her husband, Tom. Candy has one son.
Several years ago, Dorothy developed Alzheimer’s Disease and eventually became mostly unable to communicate verbally. Amazingly enough, for years after that, she still was able to weave small, striped rugs on a portable loom that Candy learned to warp for her. It was like her hands remembered what to do even when her brain wasn’t at all helpful.
Dorothy was friendly, fun, talented, and will be missed. She passed away on November 16, 2014.