"I feel both honored and privileged to pay tribute to this great man who my siblings and I are fortunate enough to call Grandpa. As I spoke with my sisters and brother about their memories of Papa Lew, most of the things we will remember most were the small everyday things that made grandpa, grandpa.
My earliest memory of Papa Lew was when he took Jay and I to Heber City to ride the Heber Creeper. I have a vivid picture embedded in my mind of sitting on the train close to grandpa with Jay sitting on his lap. I remember feeling like a million bucks because my grandpa had taken me to ride the train. Thinking back on my memories of grandpa I realized that he was not a man of many words, unless he felt strongly about something, and then you wouldn’t hear the end of it! He was sure to let me know his thoughts on the big bows I put on my daughter Avalynn! “but grandpa they’re cute” I would say, only to hear “She is cute enough without that huge thing on her head!” Needless to say I was very selective of the bows I chose when I knew we would be seeing grandpa!
Cami’s most vivid memories and life lessons learned from Grandpa came from his garden. We all know how much he loved his garden! She said that from grandpa’s garden came many lessons of hard work. Staying on top of a garden that big takes a lot of work and dedication; attributes we all know Papa possessed when it came to his garden and all other aspects of life. The thing Cami, and I’m sure all of us, loved the most, were grandpa’s hugs. You better believe that you were going to get squeezed really tight! When you got one of those firm big hugs, you knew it was real. His love, care, and concern for you were undeniable when he hugged you. Cami, Nicole, and I had the opportunity to go say good-bye to Grandpa on Tuesday, just a couple short days before his passing, and I can tell you that even though his body may have been weak and hurting those hugs he gave us that day were just as strong as ever!
Nicole remembers Grandpa as someone who was always very genuine, when he said something you knew it came from the heart. Something about grandpa that she will always remember is the love he always showed to Grandma. It was outwardly apparent that he loved her and was eternally committed to their marriage. While Papa Lew was at the Huntsman Cancer Center last spring Nicole had the opportunity to go visit him. She stopped to pick him up a Raspberry smoothie before heading to the hospital. When she got there Grandpa drank the smoothie and even sat up afterwards to have dinner with the family that was there. Afterwards Linda told her that was the most food he had eaten in a day or so, and must have given him strength to eat more. She was touched by his gracious respect to drink the gift she had brought him even though he may not have really wanted it. Papa then proceeded to ask her how she was and how life was going. Nicole realized although he was in pain and not comfortable, he showed his love for her by his actions even when he was weak and sick.
I asked Devin what some of his funniest memories of grandpa were and he said one of them was the road trip to California for the cruise. Apparently it was a “circus”, as the boys like to call it, when it came to packing the car. But if anyone knows Lew well, they know that he is the master car packer! I think the award for the “Best Lew Packing Job” was when he was bringing a couch to St. George for my mom. He pulled up with the 4-wheeler in the bed of the truck, with the couch on top of the 4-wheeler all while pulling the trailer!
Devin recalled to me how the greatest lesson he learned from grandpa was about the church and happened just a few weeks ago while Grandpa was in the hospital. While there visiting, 2 BYU football players came to give Papa a signed helmet from the BYU football team. As the players were walking out the door, grandpa stopped them, and with tear filled eyes told them to stay true to the gospel and to use football to be a good influence in others lives. Brennen’s most significant impressions of grandpa are also his testimony of the church. Brennen said Coming into the family it was “evident in Grandpa’s home, family, and demeanor, his conviction and testimony of the gospel. You never questioned or wondered if Lew had a testimony, it was apparent that he knew the truthfulness of the gospel”
I feel blessed to have had Grandpa at some of the most momentous events in my life. He was there when I received my endowment in the temple, at the sealing of Brennen and I, and at the baby blessing of our daughter. How fortunate Avalynn was to have her great-grandpa stand in that circle to give her a name and a blessing.
Above all for my siblings and me the deepest, most important lesson we will take from this great man, was his unwavering example of Christ-like love. As I have grown into an adult I have been very grateful and humbled for the relationships I have with the Pratt family. I have come to a point in my life where I have seen the great sacrifice and true Christ-like attributes both Grandpa and Grandma possess to have taken our family as their own. To take a young 16-year-old girl into their home and make her one of their own is something, only someone who knows what it truly means to do as our loving Savior would do. Thank you Papa Lew for your consistent example of a true Christian man and your undeniable love of the Savior. May we all live our lives to emulate Him the way you have so very well done."
