Pratt, Ralph E.

Ralph Edison Pratt, “Bampy,” of Canton, passed peacefully on November 25 surrounded with the love and admiration of his family.

He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Jane (Ferguson) Pratt, son Mike and his wife, Lisa, son Kevin and his wife, Samantha, and his grandchildren Courtney and Cody. He is also survived by his mother, Janet Pratt, and sister Susan Zumbahlen. He is predeceased by his father, Myron “Mike” Pratt, and his brothers Joel and Jeff Pratt. Ralph was gifted with a tremendous capacity in life, and his story seems to reflect the lives of several men concurrently, a testament to his nature of pursuing his many goals and helping as many people as possible along the way. All of his impacts and his legacy will be felt and remembered by many.

Shortly after graduating from the Blue Hills Regional electrical program, he stumbled across the kindest soul on the planet and he convinced her to marry him. Jane’s story would become deeply intertwined with Ralph’s; through this union he gained the means to reach an incredible potential and many a soul flourished because of them. Jane, being the second oldest of 11 brothers and sisters, was a package deal. By 1974 both of Jane’s parents had passed and together Ralph and Jane looked after her siblings and played an instrumental role in all of their lives. To this day he is adored and appreciated by all of them.

Ralph and Jane continued on and had two kids of their own, Michael and Kevin, and for decades all of his boats carried their namesake. When his grandkids came along, Ralph adopted the name “Bampy.” Of all the many roles he played in life, this is perhaps the one that let him shine the brightest, and when he built his dream boat, in big bold letters he proudly named it “Bampy.” He was so much more than a grandfather to them; he was a best friend first, and they softened up even the toughest parts of him.

Ralph was a licensed master electrician, starting out in the power maintenance group for New England Telephone, but upon a legendary story about fearlessly averting an impending catastrophic event during the evening of the blizzard of ’78 he was promptly promoted to a career in property management, where he ultimately oversaw the maintenance and operation of numerous buildings in Boston. Throughout his career, true to his form, he left behind countless stories, some untold, of people he helped along the way. He retired from this career after over 30 years only to work twice as hard in all the other areas of his life. He also held his real estate license and stayed involved in his mother’s local real estate business.

Aside from his family, undoubtedly the biggest part of Ralph’s life revolved around the ocean. There are no few paragraphs that can explain this side of him; it spans almost his entire life along with that of his family, and it is far less a story than it is a legend. Ralph successfully pursued many avenues of fishing, but his presence in the world of bluefin tuna dwarfs all of it. Over the course of many decades, Ralph left his mark on almost every aspect of this fishery, including the hearts of all those that fished alongside him, but especially his sons and grandkids. Cape Cod bay and Stellwagen Bank was his backyard. He was a leader, innovator, and mentor to many in the community, but his operation was also an inside job, a family affair. When the time came to take it to the next level, he got his commercial pilot’s license, bought an airplane, and took to the skies as a spotter pilot, with his sons running the boats below. What evolved from this partnership was far more than the tremendous success on paper; it was a completely unique and organic operation, the likes of which can never be truly replicated, and a privilege to all who watched it unfold.

His success was noticed, but more so was the way he carried himself along the way. In the middle of all that, and while still balancing his career, the fishery he loved came under threat due to proposed regulation based on what he knew was poor science. Armed with his experience on the water, coupled with his unique perspective as a spotter pilot and his genuine interest to preserve the fishery, he co-founded and served as president of the American Bluefin Tuna Association (ABTA), became an advisor to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOOA), and spearheaded a scientific and political movement that successfully preserved the fishery for generations to come.

Ralph showed us that a man could be tough as nails and still have a soft heart. He expressed his love and devotion in so many profound ways, occasionally even using words. So many of his accomplishments were achieved by navigating completely uncharted waters with an uncanny ability to teach himself the way, and he charted the path for those who came behind him. He led a life that was so full and diverse, his sons now joke that it took two of them to fill his shoes, and they are still too big. In his latter years, Alzheimer’s took away his ability to continue many of these ventures, but he never let it take his family; and in her truly angelic manner, Jane made every adjustment necessary and took care of him like no other could. He will be loved and missed by many as a son, husband, father, grandfather, relative, friend, mentor, business partner, and most often a combination of several of the above.

Visiting hours at the Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home, 455 Washington Street, Friday (tomorrow) from 4-7 p.m. Funeral Mass in St. Oscar Romero Church in Canton Saturday at 10 a.m. Burial private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Ralph’s honor.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Nov 30 2023. Filed under Obituaries. Both comments and pings are currently closed.