RANDOLPH - Margaret Pratt, 97, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2026, at the Andwell Hospice House in Auburn, Maine.

Born in Farmingdale, Maine, on July 30, 1929, she was the daughter of Alfred and Violet (Leveque) Firlotte. One of nine children, Margaret, was proud of her family and her upbringing on the Marston Road in Gardiner. She attended Gardiner schools and graduated from Gardiner Area High School.

On August 16, 1949, Margaret married James “Bud” Pratt. Together, they built a life on North Street in Farmingdale, where they raised their five children. Following Bud’s passing in 1989, Margaret shared many happy years with her dear companion, Richard “Dick” Howe. In 1963, Margaret opened Margaret’s Beauty Shop in their family home, establishing a successful business while raising her children. She was also active in her profession, serving as both secretary and president of the Maine Hairdressers Association.

Margaret was a woman of remarkable energy, creativity, and determination. A talented seamstress, she took great pride in making clothing for her children and beautifully tailored garments for herself. Her many interests included knitting, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, decorating, gardening, playing cards, bingo, bowling, and dancing. She especially treasured memories of dancing at Island Park Dance Hall in Winthrop and Whippoorwill Dance Hall in Litchfield during her late teenage years.

Never one to sit idle, Margaret maintained a beautiful vegetable garden, prepared countless homemade meals and desserts, and always found time for her love of animals. Her household was rarely without a dog and a cat, and at one time she even raised Angora rabbits.

Margaret generously shared her talents with others. In retirement, she knit matching sweaters for her six Florida grandchildren and made rag dolls, hats, and mittens. She later crafted hundreds of knitted and fleece hats, donating them annually to local elementary school children. One Christmas, she presented each of her five children with a handmade quilt, a special gift created with love and care. In retirement, Margaret enjoyed spending summers at the home she and Bud built in Randolph, Maine, and winters in Largo, Florida, where she developed a love for golf and enjoyed playing cards and spending time with friends. Fiercely independent and mindful of her health, she remained active well into her nineties, driving herself to the Kennebec Valley YMCA several times a week for Silver Sneakers fitness classes.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband, Bud Pratt; her parents, Alfred and Violet Firlotte; her in-laws, Charles and Margaret Pratt; her grandson, Douglas Dill; her brothers, Theophilus, Ivan, and Vincent Firlotte; her sisters, Yvonne Firlotte, Dorothy Astle, and Lorraine Richardson; her sisters-in-law, Margaret “Peggy” Firlotte, Ruth Desrosby, Mary Bowman, and Joan Pratt; her brothers-in-law, Ormand Astle, John Desrosby, and Eugene Bowman; her sons-in-law, Richard Reitchel and Gary Quintal; her beloved companion, Dick Howe; and Dick’s daughter, Karen Howe.

She is survived by her children, Janine Chinn (Jim), Debra Reitchel, Maria Quintal, Bruce Pratt (Kay), and Teresa Despres (Mike); her grandchildren, Ann Marie Creel, Crystal Hadley, Cristy Ingram, Corey Allen, Eliot Dill, Dicky Reitchel, Stacey Sutter, Katherine Reitchel, Vin Pratt, Haley Pratt, Aaron Quintal, Cassandra Quintal, Jessica Despres, and Blair Despres; her brother, John Gary Firlotte (Marilyn); her sister, Sheila Lemar (Norman); as well as several great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She is also survived by Dick Howe’s children, Robert Howe (Debbie), Ralph Howe (Katrina), Richard Howe, and Kathy Nason (John).

The family would like to thank the staff at Woodlands Memory Care of Lewiston for the kindness and support they provided Margaret, affectionately known to them as “Maggy,” over the past four months, as well as Angie, Donna, and Jacki, her home healthcare providers.

Services will be announced and held in the summer of 2027.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Staple Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, Maine.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, www.staplesfuneralhome.com