Benton Taylor Prather III (1942-2024). Benton was a kind-hearted and loving man who dedicated himself to enriching the lives of his family and friends with adventure and wisdom. He will be remembered for his fiery spirit, wit, and compassion, and his love of nature and philosophical approach to life has been inherited by his two daughters and grandson.
Benton Taylor Prather III, 82 of Pine Ridge, FL, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his loving family on Friday, February 16th, 2024.
Benton, fondly known by his friends as “Trip”, was born in St. Petersburg, FL, on January 9th, 1942 to Benton Taylor Prather Jr. (a pharmacist) and Pauline “Polly” Prather. His grandparents, Benton Taylor Prather Sr. ( a doctor) and Annie Prather, played an active role in raising him during his childhood – some of his fondest memories as a child were during his time spent attending house calls with his grandfather or fishing at the St. Petersburg Pier with his Grandmother, where he came to know the ocean as “His only joy”. Fishing also became a lifelong hobby of Benton’s, with most of his best fishing stories originating from the Florida Keys.
After high school, Benton became a member of the merchant marines. He then attended the School of visual Arts in New York City before taking up a career as a photojournalist and photographer. Throughout his adult life Benton enjoyed restoring and fixing up old houses, employing his artist eye to find a new beauty in the property through renovation and landscaping projects. He often was able to turn a profit upon selling the homes, and maintained a comfortable lifestyle this way.
He even used his carpentry skills to build toys and children’s furniture from rocking chairs to toy boxes. He would have his daughters test them out before being sold. It was a very Norman Rockwell Life at one point in time.
Benton was also a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas for some time (He liked to joke that he was a jack of all trades) where he was able to interact with and charm people from all walks of life. This was how he best developed his people skills.
Benton found the love of his life in his 2nd marriage in Mary Ann Lucas, who soon became Mary Ann Prather. Mary was a flight attendant for Delta airlines, so the rest of their youth was spent traveling the world going on adventures, where Benton would frequently enjoy the opportunity to show off his photography skills. Mary struggled with several health issues in her later years, including diabetes, so Benton assumed the role of caretaker for his wife. He even donated a kidney to her when she needed a transplant and it was determined he was a match.
The pair spent their golden years entertaining their grandson Shane, who they spent every weekend with (Scrabble games at night with a classic film on in the background were a weekly tradition). They were heavily invested in Shane’s growth as a child, and Benton often referred to Shane as “the Apple of his eye”. Benton and Shane were best friends. Benton was always guiding Shane while having fun along the way – from showing him how to catch fireflies, play sports, or shoot a gun, to introducing him to old movies, or just having long talks about life together. After Benton was confident in Shane’s scholastic potential, he invested in a prepaid college fund for Shane while he was only 5 years old. Shane is now a mechanical engineer, currently employed as a rocket scientist.
Benton will always be remembered for his thoughtfulness and his fun, rebellious attitude in life. I don’t think there will ever come a day where any of us can fully accept that he’s gone, but we are comforted to know he has gone on to be with Mary Ann. We couldn’t have asked for a better dad or grandparent, and will be grateful every day to have known him so closely. He will continue to live on through his family, who he has left a lasting mark on each one of. Benton was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann Prather, and is survived by his daughters, Ashley (Terry) Breaux and Harlow Prather-Nieves (Elliot) and his grandson Shane Prather. Memorials may be made to the Shriner’s Childrens Hospital in honor of Benton and would be greatly appreciated. Cremation is under the care of the Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory in Inverness.
Add Comment