Sherry Jon (Cecil) Pratt

Sherry Jon Pratt (née Cecil) passed away peacefully at her Liverpool home on April 7, 2026. She was 98, born in Utica in 1927 to John Roger Cecil and Katherine Fitzsimmons Cecil. Her father’s job with British Shell necessitated frequent moves, and her experience in towns all over New York State set the stage for many of the stories she told throughout her life. She met Merle Baker Pratt at Liverpool High School. He soon joined the 10th Mountain Division ski troops in Italy, and they married when he returned from the war in 1946. Sherry paid the rent working as a Licensed Practical Nurse while Merle studied in college and law school. 

They started a law practice and had two children. Sherry became a teacher’s aide in the Liverpool Schools, helping children with disabilities realize their potential. She was a Girl Scout leader, a fundraiser for school orchestras, a member of St. Paul’s WELCA, and a sympathetic listening ear for countless people. She had a high tolerance for chaos, as evidenced by her cheerful acceptance of her children’s menagerie, her ability to rise above school politics, and the fact that in her 50s, she and Merle welcomed both their mothers to live with them at the same time. 

Sherry was ever appreciative of craftmanship and history. Her own creativity extended to exquisite sewing, telling captivating stories of the past, and running an antiquarian book business with her husband. Later in life she began to write down the tales she had composed in her head, eventually publishingtwo volumes of short stories in her 90s. 

She was predeceased by her husband Merle and her brother John Cecil. She is survived by her brother Edward “Ted” Coggen (Dianne) of Liverpool; sister-in-law Pam Cecil of Baldwinsville; daughter Holly Pratt and granddaughter Cecilia Pratt of OH; son Charles “Chad” Pratt (Tracy Ryan) of IN; nieces ThereséSacchetti (Dan Benjamin) of Syracuse, Cindy Allen (Rick) of CO, Jennifer Coggen (Kristine Luse) of GA, Melanie Coggen (Lucy Zotti) of GA, Theresa “Teri” (Robert) Rodriguez of AZ, Kelly Coggen (Melissa Ferris) of Memphis; nephews Rick Cecil (Sheila) of Scarsdale, Marshall Boughton (Betty) of KY,  Donn Boughton (Beckie) of TN, Mark Boughton (Cecilia) of TN;  numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews; the women of WELCA; members of two Central New York writers’ groups; local authors Eric Norton and Lisa Tanner;  and “should-have-been-a-sister” Claire Lambert. The family especially thanks Dr. Mary Daye for many years of loving care. 

Donations may be made to the Liverpool Public Library (use Sherry’s name to direct gifts to children’s books), Beaver Lake Nature Center, Syracuse Youth Orchestra, or the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Blessings in a Backpack fund.  

A gathering to celebrate Sherry will be held on Friday, May 1st 2026 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 210 Hazel Street, Liverpool. A simple service at 11:00am will be followed by lunch and story-swapping. 

Leave condolences for the family on the Tribute Wall
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sherry Jon (Cecil) Pratt, please visit our floral store.