Harry Lee Prater

Harry Lee Prater was born on April 7, 1923, to Walter Lee Prater and Hazel (Morelini) Prater. He spent all his life in San Benito County apart from 10 years that he spent in Loveland, Colo., and three in Sagle, Idaho. The angels came to take him home on April 6, 2023. He died peacefully in his sleep, at home, surrounded by loved ones.

Harry attended local schools, including San Benito High and San Benito Junior College. He worked in the shipyards in Richmond, Calif., building liberty ships in four days and others in seven days. He was drafted into the Army in February of 1943, where he served in the South Pacific during WWII as a truck driver with the 473rd Truck Regiment and 3744 QM Truck Company, and was discharged in June of 1946.

Harry married Peggy Jean Hager in 1947 and raised one son, William (Gene) Prater. Peggy passed away in 1986 and his son Gene passed away in 1997.

Harry loved and held many jobs throughout his life. He was a school bus driver in his senior year of high school and his first year of junior college. He was a dairyman and hay farmer on a 40-acre ranch. He was a mechanic for Doris Motor Company, Jones Chevrolet, and Ferry Morris Seed Company. The last job he held was with the USDA Soil Conservation Services as an Engineering Technician. In 1978, he was forced to retire due to macular degeneration. He is best known for the various plans he designed for land leveling, irrigation pipelines, sprinkler designs, stock dams, stock water pipelines and regulating reservoirs for irrigation in and around San Benito, Monterey and South Santa Clara Counties. He did his work with enthusiasm and extraordinary pride and the farmers and ranchers in his area all loved him. Those he mentored had a profound respect for the knowledge he shared.

Harry was a member of the VFW and was a 50-year member of the Honor Guard. He belonged to SIRS (Sons in Retirement) and was an original member of the Top Hatter Motorcycle group. He loved hill climbing races and car races.

He joined the Golden Years Travel Club and met Mary Borges on one of their trips in 1991. Harry and Mary were married in 1994 at the Mount Madonna State Park in the beautiful redwoods with a Native American ceremony. The two moved to Loveland, Colo., for 10 years where Harry loved to hike the Rocky Mountains and marvel at the change of seasons.

In 2004, the couple moved back to Hollister to enjoy all their family. He was an awesome stepfather to Mary's five children and a loving, caring step grandfather to all their children. Harry enjoyed visiting his friends whom he had known all his life. They would meet up at Spuds or Burger King and talk the afternoon away reminiscing about the good old days. Harry was always upbeat and never complained. He was an incredibly special person, unafraid to cry, very compassionate to all creatures, and never minded doing dishes! He was a well-rounded man who had an incredible impact on everyone he met.

In 2020, he and Mary relocated to Sagle, Idaho. Although his eyesight had deteriorated, he could still smell the freshness of the woods that surrounded them, and he loved that Mary had a beautiful garden to tinker in during the spring, summer, and fall.

Harry is survived by his wife, Mary Borges-Prater; sister, Nancy Waltman; brother, John (Carol) Prater; the Gene Prater Family: Gene (1997), Carol, Marshall, Ann, Brandon, and Colton.

He also is survived by the Lydia Castillo Family: Lydia (2007), Kassi, Michael, Isaiah, and Malikai; the Robert T. Borges Family: Robert, Sheri, Matthew, Amy, Michael, Alison, Tessa, Brody, and AJ; the Bryan K Borges Family: Bryan, Kim, Bryan Jr, Samantha, Krystal, Taylor, and Willow; the Anthony R Borges Family: Anthony, Isabel, Anton, and Layla; the Brian Keys Family: Brian, Lisa, Josh, Todd, Blake and Ian; and numerous nephews and nieces.

Over the years, Harry was a part of many lives from different families and he respected them all: Don, Scott, Ivy, Jeanne, Billy, Derek, Shelly, Treasure, and Shane.

There will be a graveside service at the IOOF Cemetery on May 26, 2023 at 11 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life at the Hollister Elks Lodge. All are invited to celebrate Harry's life alongside his family.

Published in Hollister Free Lance · April 13, 2023