Idanelle Tims Pratt's Obituary
Idanelle (Nelle) Tims Pratt, 90, of Germantown, Tennessee passed away on March 25th, 2025 surrounded by her loving family and friends.
Idanelle Tims Pratt was born in Dyersburg, Tennessee. She is the daughter of the late Hattie Eudora Proctor. She married James Angelo Pratt in Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Together they raised three children, James Vincent Pratt, Stephanie Gentry Pratt Jones (Mike), and Angela Denise Pratt who loved her dearly. In addition to her children, she leaves behind three grandchildren, Alexandra Jones Reichert (Michael), James Thomas Jones (Jenny), Benjamin Kai Jones (Olivia), and two great grandchildren, Madeline Reichert and Peter Reichert, and a niece Anne Barrett Mathes (Joel).
After graduating Central High School in Memphis, Tennessee in 1952, Nelle began a long life of serving her community and supporting the people she loved. She and Jim, a Lieutenant Colonel in the army, proudly partnered in the service of their country both at home and abroad for over 20 years. They eventually settled down to begin raising a family in Germantown, Tennessee. Shortly after this move, she was widowed and made the difficult transition from stay-at-home mom and partner into the corporate work force and single motherhood of three young children. She successfully navigated her new roles while creating lifelong friendships with co-workers and customers at True Temper Sports before retiring to enjoy being a full-time grandmother.
Nelle believed strongly in the importance of serving her community and leaves a legacy of giving without expecting anything in return. As a young woman she served as a Gray Lady for the American Red Cross. At any given moment, you might find her quietly making and serving hundreds of sandwiches for St. Vincent De Paul Soup kitchen, brightening the day of a resident at Ave Maria, laundering and ironing the altar linens for OLPH, or offering to drive her friends to their appointments well into her late 80’s.
If you knew Nelle, you know how she loved water. She loved walking along the beach, water exercise, and she especially loved being dragged out into the ocean in an innertube by her entire family on her beloved annual family beach trip. Nelle tried to get into the water every day, despite never learning how to swim.
The visitation will be held Friday, March 28, 2025, from 10 a.m. until the Funeral Mass at 11:00 am with a reception to follow. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery on 1661 Elvis Presley at 2pm. As we reflect on her legacy, we are reminded to embrace your loved ones, enjoy the cool body of water, and live your life intentionally.
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