August 2004: Dave Pratt and Linda Nilson wrote emails informing me that Dave "died quietly in his sleep" recently. I know that Dave had a big influence on two generations of Pratts, and he was always on the list of everybody's favorite teachers.
Richard Springsteed forwarded this letter he received from Dave Hotaling in the fall of 2001.
L & I left USA in Fall 64. I taught biology & science 2 years in NZ, 3 in
Australia, 9 on Guam, then to Oregon in 78, and since 84 in Seattle. L did
all kinds of crazy things, keeping me in line (more or less), cutting scrub,
restoring an orchard, overseeing American Irish accent for Wellington
Repertory Theatreıs uncut production "Long Dayıs Journey Into Night," (e.g.
not letting em say "bean" for "been"), taking awards in Pioneer Shire
(Queensland) Eisteddfod, running an arts council, restoring a reed organ,
illustrating, laying out, designing, and helping edit my K-12 environmental
education series Life on Guam (11 habitats), doing a Public Television
fund-raising bicycle marathon, high mucka-mucking Guamıs first Earth Day,
being Martha in "Whoıs afraid of" etc., etc., running an arts council,
enough already. All that stuff about L is because I forgot to mention it
before and she reminded me I dint. Oh, further, at Nehalem, Or, we jointly
appeared in Geo. M. Cohanıs mellerdrammer "The Tavern," I as the innkeeper
(of course), and she as the madwoman (typecast).
Dave (and Louise Hotaling)