BLOOMINGTON — Judith Evelyn (Welches) Pratt, 86, of Bloomington, died at 3:40 p.m. on April 24, 2025, at Martin Health Center after a sudden illness.
Judy was born on August 19, 1938, in Merrillville, Ind. to Charles William and Mary Margaret (Stewart) Welches. She married Donald Everett Pratt on June 8, 1963, in Gary, Ind. He preceded her in death on July 3, 2020. She was also preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.
She is survived by her children, Julie (Ward) Workman, of Normal, her son Donald Eric Pratt (Dr. Stacey Barrenger), of Akron, Ohio and JoAnn (Joe) Martin of Wylie, Texas. Also surviving are five grandchildren: Will (Courtney) Moore of El Paso, Elizabeth M. (Grayson Chamberlain) Workman, of Salisbury, Md, Connor T. (Josie Bell) Workman, Jessica and Joshua Martin and two great-grandchildren, Aiden and Wyatt Moore.
Judy graduated from Merrillville High School in 1956 and went on to study at Spring Arbor College and Greenville College. She earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1965.
Judy had a passion for teaching. From her third-grade students to adult learners, GED and ESL students and the prison education program, she improved thousands of lives over the course of her career.
After Don entered the ministry in 1974, Judy continued to serve every community in which they lived. She was the very model of a pastor’s wife, supporting every church in every way, from teaching Sunday School and running Vacation Bible School every summer to serving as youth counselor at church camp to helping with everything from weddings and baptisms to organizing dinners. Judy was a servant leader in the truest sense of the word.
Meanwhile, she continued to pursue her own interests, including hosting foreign exchange students from Denmark, Germany and Uruguay. That experience led to a job working for Youth for Understanding for several years, during which she placed dozens of exchange students in communities across central Illinois.
While she enjoyed all of those pursuits, Judy found her greatest joy in spending time with her family. She made every birthday and holiday into an occasion to be remembered, and somehow took the celebrations up a level when the grandchildren came along.
Judy’s Christian faith was the foundation upon which she built her life and the driving force behind every decision. She was a strong and independent woman, the first in her family to go to college, the ultimate servant leader and the most loving and caring mom and grandma. We will remember her with love and admiration and will miss her every day until we meet again.
Judy’s visitation will be held at Calvary United Methodist Church, 1700 N. Towanda Avenue, in Normal, from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, April 30, with a funeral service immediately following at the church. The Rev. Vince Rohn will officiate. Cremation rites have been accorded, and a private interment service will be held later at Oak Hill Cemetery in Palmyra, Ill.
Cards and notes of remembrance can be mailed to the Pratt Family at 1902 Widermere Drive, Normal, IL 61761. If you wish to make a memorial contribution, please visit springarbor.edu and click on the “Give to SAU” button. Designate your donation as a Tribute Gift in Memory of Judy Welches Pratt, Class of 1958.
Calvert and Metzler Funeral Home, Bloomington, is assisting the family with arrangements.
