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John Stephen Potoski
John Stephen Potoski in Woodland died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003, at age 84.
Born May 27, 1919, in Moosic, Pa., Mr. Potoski had been a Yolo County resident for two and half years. He was a member of Elks Lodge, American Legion, and VFW. He retired from Treasure Island, San Francisco as a civil servant. He served in the army during World War II as a sergeant.
Survivors include his daughters, Charlotte Brock of Sunnyvale, Susan Glunz of Bakersfield, Margaret Pitts of Anderson, and Vanessa Butterfield of Boise, Idaho; brother, George Potoski; sister, Margie Oliver; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Nicholas, Michael and Charles.
The family requests memorials be directed to VFW. Arrangements are under the direction of McNary's Chapel of Woodland.
Services: A graveside service is scheduled at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, (2003).
POTTER
Alvin Buck Potter
Alvin Buck Potter died in Alderson Convalescent Hospital, Woodland, Monday, May 6, 2002, at age 82.
Born April 17, 1920, in Covelo, Mr. Potter had been a Yolo County resident for 23 years.
Mr. Potter was buried
with his parents in an Indian Cemetery, in Covelo. The Round Valley Indian Tribe assisted with the burial.
POTTS
Mary Frances Potts
Mary Frances Potts died in Woodland Memorial Hospital Tuesday, March 23, 2004, at age 78.
Born May 31, 1925, in Texas, Mrs. Potts had been a Yolo County resident for 42 years. She worked for JCPenney and retired after 15 years.
Survivors include her daughters, Linda Manley and Susan Wassam; and sons, Kenneth Potts and Randy Potts, all of Woodland; grandchildren, Lorinda Lee and husband Jeff of Adamstown, Md., Richard Leland and wife Tonya of Arizona, Sean Potts of Sacramento and Casey Swancy of Woodland; nine great-grandchildren; and brother, Charles David Burk of Bakersfield. She was preceded in death by her husband William M. Potts; sister, Martha Tinsley and brothers, Joe Burk Jr. and John Burk.
The family requests memorials be directed to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Kraft Bros. Funeral Directors of Woodland.
Services: A graveside service is scheduled at noon Saturday, March 27, at Monument Hill Memorial Park, Woodland.
PRADO
Theresa Garcia Prado
Theresa Garcia Prado died on Saturday, May 31, 2003, at age 76. Born Oct. 21, 1926, in Gallup, N.M., Mrs. Prado had been a Yolo County resident for over 60 years. She attending schools in Gallup, N.M., relocated to Southern California for brief period before settling in Woodland. She was employed with Optometrist Dr. Lily Wang until her retirement. She was a member of YLI and Holy Rosary Parish.
Survivors, including their spouses and daughters, Margaret and John Hernandez of Woodland, Amelia Hawkins of Canyonville, Ore., and Marcella and Greg Gomez of Woodland; sons, Martin A. and Marcella Prado of W. Sacramento, Anthony and Karen Prado of Woodland; grandchildren, Martin, Rae Ann, Thaddeus and Shelly, Jerry and Stormy, Michael and Teri, Teresa, Ygnacio and Lori, Julia, Mathew, Kristin, Richard, Jason, Nicholas, Keri and Steve, and Denny; great-grandchildren, Marcella, Jordan, James, Sabrina, Emily, Cierra, Ian, Jeremiah, Jedediah, Jacob, Ashley, John, Breanna, Leanna, Patrick, Arthur, Derek, and Alysun; sisters, Josephine and Joaquin Andrade of Yolo, Ophelia and Luis Olivarez of El Monte, Mary and Robert Lavorico of Woodland, Lina Jaurige of Esparto, Jessie and German Escobar of Arbuckle; brothers, Ignacio and Lily Garcia of San Antonio, Texas, and David Lopez of Sacramento; brother-in-law, Reyjino and Virginia Savala of Chula Vista; sister-in-law, Anita Garcia of Woodland; and niece, Lucinda and Manuel Aranda of La Puente.
She was preceded in death by her husband Martin E. Prado; parents, Ygnacio and Refugio Garcia; and brothers, Guadalupe and Benedicto Garcia. The family requests memorials be directed to the charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are under the direction of McNary's Chapel of Woodland.
Services: Vigil is scheduled at 7 p.m. today, Wednesday, June 4, at Holy Rosary Church, Woodland. A funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 5, also at Holy Rosary Church, with interment to follow at Monument Hill Memorial Park.
PRATT
Anna Marie (Martin) Pratt
Anna Marie (Martin) Pratt died at University Retirement Community Davis on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003, at age 92.
Born May 7, 1911, in Los Angeles, Mrs. Pratt is the only child of Edwin B. Martin and Meta F. Martin. She attended school in Los Angeles, graduating from Belmont High School, a member of Ephesians Honor Society. She attended UCLA, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of arts degree in botany and biology. She worked as an X-ray technician before returning to UCLA to graduate in 1936, with a masters degree in botany and a teaching credential. She worked as a teacher at Saticoy Grammar School, Fullerton High School and at Jefferson High School. She marriage Harlan K. Pratt on June 1, 1939, moved to Davis in 1946. She was also a member of Sierra Club and one of the founding members of Save Mono Lake Committee.
Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Harlan Pratt of Davis; son, Robert and wife Shari Pratt of Woodland; daughter, Elizabeth Jones and husband Robert of Stone Staffs England; and grandchildren, Robert, Francis, Jason, Jesse, Bethan; and four great-grandchildren.
Services: Interment will be private.)
PRATT
Harlan Kelley Pratt
Harlan Kelley Pratt died Sept. 21, 2005, of natural causes. He was 91.
Born March 18, 1914, to Burr B Pratt and Louise Kelley Pratt in Berkeley, he was raised in Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, he attended UCLA, receiving his bachelor's degree with honors in subtropical horticulture in 1939, followed by his doctorate degree in plant science under Jacob Beal in 1944.
He moved to Davis in 1946 and went to work at UC Davis in the plant physiology department at Hunt Hall, and later the Mann Lab. He specialized in the handling and transportation of melons, and did ground-breaking work in the field of controlled ripening in plant tissue and the effects of ethylene on the process. He also helped introduce the kiwi fruit to California.
He was a lifelong Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout himself and was Scoutmaster of Troop 139 in Davis. He was also assistant district commission for the Golden Empire Council and taught scouting until he was 89 years old.
He was described as an environmentalist and loved hiking and camping. He was an alumnus of the Yosemite Field School and a member of the Sierra Club.
He was a serious sailor, sailing his 36-foot Ketch Genii to three YRA season championships and was a devoted master mariner.
He and his wife, Anna Marie, were world travelers, and after he retired from UC Davis, he worked for the U.S. government, traveling the world teaching crop production and basic farming techniques to developing countries.
He helped build the Davis Parent Nursery School and played the double bass in the Davis community musical productions.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Anna Marie; and his brother, Robert Pratt.
He is survived by his son, Bob and his wife Shari Pratt of Woodland; his daughter, Elizabeth and her husband Bob Jones of Stone, Staff, England; seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; and five nieces.
At his request, there will be no services. Donations to the Boy Scouts of America in his name would be appreciated.
PRAUL
David N. Praul
Sacramento resident David Norman Praul, Ph.D., died June 1, 2002, in Sacramento. He was 54.
He was born Aug. 10, 1947, in Napa at the former Parks Victory Memorial Hospital on Jefferson Street. Born to William J. and Betty L. Praul, he was a third-generation Napan who attended West Park Elementary, Redwood Junior High and Napa Senior High School.
After graduating from UC Davis, he met his former wife Evelyn Praul and, upon graduation, they started the Praul Center, which is now called FamiliesFirst. The agency provides homes for emotionally disturbed children.
The center's therapy of choice was often referred to as the "M&M" method, providing positive reinforcement for children who had rarely received any form of reward in their young lives. Several of these former clients became friends and family to him later in life.
He spent many years counseling people on life's many complications and provided years of on-call counseling for potential suicide victims as well as running a 12-step program for substance abuse.
His life's work was dedicated to positively touching many lives. He had a close connection to the Sacramento Native American community in both his professional and personal life.
An alumni member of the Napa Senior High School Choir, his lifelong passion for song led him to join a barbershop group in Sacramento called the Capitolaires. He also enjoyed the outdoors and sports such as skiing, water-skiing and hiking.
At 13 years old, he attended the 1960 Olympic Games in Squaw Valley and fulfilled a major highlight this year by attending the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents and other relatives born and raised in Napa.
He is survived by his mother, Betty Tanner Praul of Citrus Heights; father and stepmother, William and Wynema Praul of Yountville; sister, brother-in-law and niece, Belinda, Domitrio and Marissa Sanchez of Granite Bay; brother, Michael Praul of Napa; son, Aaron Praul of Boston; and numerous other relatives in the area.
A funeral will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at Treadway & Wigger Funeral Chapel, 623 Coombs St., Napa. Relatives and friends are invited to meet immediately following the service at 2019 West F St. in Napa.
In lieu of flowers, friends and relatives are asked to make donations to the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Yolo County at P.O. Box 622, Davis, CA 95617, an organization he worked for at numerous times throughout his life.
