Respected antiques dealer Wayne Pratt dies at 64
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Next to his family, Wayne Pratt's life revolved around antiques. He bought his first Windsor chair at the age of seven, sold his first piece when he was 15 and went on to become one of the country's most renowned dealers of 18th and early 19th century American furniture.

Mr. Pratt, who had a shop on Nantucket's Main Street since 1991 and another in Woodbury, Conn., died unexpectedly of an arrhythmia during his sleep on July 26, 2007 at the age of 64. His wife, Sarah Shinn Pratt, said his death was a shock to family and friends because he was recovering well at home after spending 10 days in New York Presbyterian Hospital following heart valve replacement. The Pratts would have celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on July 27.

"Wayne died perhaps fittingly with an enlarged heart. He did favors for many people," Sarah Pratt said. "He loved traveling and finding a great piece. He loved Nantucket, he loved the ocean. He was so proud of his shop and he loved coming out there. He was a great, great father and husband. We enjoyed building our house together and other projects and one thing we didn't argue about was matters of taste. That was a real bond besides our children. He's the last of the best."

This is all that remains of the home at 6 Midland Avenue following Saturday night's blaze. The owner of the home, Anne Lacourse, lives in Andover, Mass. She was not at the home at the time of the fire. Authorities are still trying to determine the cause. HADLEY ST. JOHN The Independent

Mr. Pratt also enjoyed flying his Navajo Chieftain, skiing and, especially, attending his sons' baseball games. For several years he was an appraiser on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow. He and his wife were also philanthropic, donating to the Nantucket Historical Association as well as to Connecticut charities and assisting with fundraisers for the Woodbury Scholarship Fund and Washington, Conn.'s Armstrong Chamber Concerts.

"I respected his knowledge on American furniture - very much so," said island resident and antiques dealer John Sylvia, who had known Mr. Pratt 15 years and was a friend and occasional golf partner as well as a colleague.

Summer resident Richard Griffin met Mr. Pratt in the mid-1980s, first as a customer and then a friend who became close to the Pratts.

"He introduced me to my wife and my daughter worked for him for eight years," he said. "We watched football together in the winters and I went on a number of ski trips with him. He was a great friend and will be sorely missed. He will long be remembered as one of my closest friends. It's very unexpected and very sad."

Dave Bernard of Chicago's Taylor B. Williams Antiques, knew Mr. Pratt for 20 years and echoed the respect others expressed for him as a person and an expert in his field.

"He was a wonderful person to know. He was very kind and generous and very knowledgeable in the business," said Bernard. "He was an interesting guy because you never knew what he was going to come up with next in his personal or business life. He treated his employees like family members. He was a wonderful guy."

His customers often became friends. Summer resident Vuk Bulajic met Mr. Pratt in the mid-1990s and last spoke with him just a few days ago.

"He was a big personality. He was known by a lot of people," said Bulajic. "There is nobody who knew and understood American antiques better than Wayne Pratt. He was the top expert in that field. Nobody compared to Wayne. It's a real shame. He's probably the last of the old generation - the pickers finding fine examples of American furniture."

Mr. Pratt is survived by his wife, Sarah Shinn Pratt; sons James, 10 and Henry, eight; two children from his first marriage, Christina Pratt, 39, of Massachusetts and Jessica Pratt, 36, of New York City; a sister, Cindy Stokes, of Kansas City; and two grandchildren.

A memorial celebration will be held at 4 p.m. on Sept. 1 in the garden of Mill House Antiques in Woodbury, Conn. In lieu of flowers donations in Mr. Pratt's name may be made to Woodbury Baseball and Softball or the Woodbury Scholarship Fund. For details, call the Connecticut shop at 203-263-5676.