PORTLAND – Benjamin James Pratt, 63, of Durham, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 13, at Maine Medical Center with his family at his side.

He was born in Brunswick in 1944, the son of Charles and Luella (McPherson) Pratt. Raised in the Bowdoinham area, he attended local schools. With his father, he co-owned Pratt’s Garage in Freeport for many years, buying, selling, and repairing cars.

In 1962, he was married to his sweetheart, Carolyn Small. They spent 44 years together, residing in Durham for the past 37 of them. Together, they raised their two children, Dennis and Jennifer.

He was devoted to his family, a loyal and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was honest, generous, true to his word, and always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. Quick with a smile, he brightened the lives of all who knew and loved him.

He was an active member of the Auburn Seventh Day Adventist Church, where he served God and his community as director of the Food Pantry. He helped needy families by providing food boxes each and every week for more than 10 years. He touched countless lives with his ministry, and put food on the tables that might have otherwise been bare.

Throughout his lifetime, he was an avid sportsman and loved hunting, fishing, and camping in the backwoods of Maine. A patient and steady marksman, he took a deer nearly every fall.

He leaves behind his wife, Carolyn Pratt; mother, Luella Pratt; his grandchildren; son, Dennis Pratt, and his wife, Susan, of Durham; daughter, Jennifer (Pratt) Kerwin, and husband, Shawn, of Monmouth; his precious grandchildren, Laura, James and Allison were truly his heart’s delight, bringing him special joy and great pride; his brothers, Bryan, and his wife, Pat, of Bowdoinham and Dale, and his wife, Carolyn, of Cumberland; and numerous beloved brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was predeceased by his father, Charles Pratt.