Susan “Sue” Pratt, longtime resident of Prior Lake, MN passed away peacefully at the age of 81 in San Antonio, TX on June 12, 2023, while holding her husband’s hand.
A gathering of family and friends will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023, from 4-7 pm, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 4565 Pleasant Street SE, Prior Lake. Sue will be laid to rest on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at Sunnyside Memorial Garden, 2267 Old Highway Road, Charles City, IA, with a gathering from 1-2:30 pm.
On February 27, 1942, Susan Marie Speakar was born to parents John & Bessie (Killian) Speakar in Mason City, Iowa. Shortly after she was born, John got a job at the Oliver Tractor factory in Charles City and moved the family to the house on 8 th Ave, which she fondly called Home. Suzy graduated from Charles City High School, IA in 1960. She was extremely active in school as a varsity cheerleader, as the Student Council President, in the Thespians Club, in Future Teachers of America and a member of the National Honor Society. When not active at school, Sue enjoyed working as a waitress at The Jolly Roger Diner, where she saved her money to pay for college at Iowa State Teachers College (now Univ. of Northern Iowa).
Sue married Ray Pratt on July 12, 1963, in Charles City, starting a lifetime partnership that would see the family live and experience opportunities beyond anything she could have imagined as a kid. Ray helped Sue finish her degree in elementary education, and started her 40-year career when she got her first teaching job in Greene, IA. She then helped Ray get back to college and finish his degree at the University of Nebraska, when the family moved to Lincoln. After Ray graduated, the family moved to Simi Valley, CA, where she first found her niche teaching 6 th grade. Ray’s job moved the family to Palatine, Illinois and eventually to Prior Lake.
It seemed like everywhere they went, there was always a need for a 6 th grade teacher, and she loved teaching that age. She spent most of her career in Shakopee where she made lifelong friends and helped to shape the lives of hundreds of students. Sue was extremely proud that she earned her master’s degree from St. Mary’s in 1996 while working full time. One of her favorite subjects was reading, and dedicated several summers to teaching adults who couldn’t read. After she retired, she continued to be a substitute teacher for many years.
Her life changed after being diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 1998. After surgery and during her chemotherapy, she continued to teach her “beloved students”, convinced their energy and prayer chains were an important part of her recovery. After Sue retired, she and Ray spent winters in San Antonio. She took up golf later in life, but really fell in love with it. She played in a few women’s leagues, where she enjoyed the social part of the game as much as the competitiveness. She and Ray also loved to travel, taking adventures all over the world. However, after being in remission for 10 years, her cancer began to progress. By 2018, her doctors told her she needed to cut back on her travel to and from Minnesota and take a more consistent approach to her treatment, so she and Ray decided to stay in San Antonio year-round.
Sue was devoted to her family and friends. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived and missed by her devoted husband Ray; son, Eric (Tina) Pratt; grandchildren, Cameron Pratt, Samantha Pratt; sister, Sandy (Lee) Koeningsfeld; and dozens of nieces and nephews.
