Hope Mason Pracht

Pracht, Hope Mason. It is with great sadness that the family of Hope Pracht announces her passing after an unexpected decline in her health, on Monday June 3, 2024 at the age of 88 years. She died peacefully, the same day that her mother, Eleanor Iselin Mason Wade, was born in 1910. She will be fondly remembered by her children and grandchildren - son Nicholas Pracht; twin daughters Eleanor Pracht Smith (Martin Smith & Landon) and Sarah Geisler (Steve Geisler & Mark - wife Anna & Suzie) and her step brother Micheal Reed.  Hope was predeceased by her husband Frederick Pracht and her step brother Alan Reed.

Private interment will occur at Fernwood Cemetery in Mill Valley, CA, in June 2024, where her husband Fred is buried, and close to Eleanor’s residence. A memorial celebration will be held for Hope on Saturday June 29, 2024 at 10:30 A.M. This celebration will be at St. Cyril Catholic Church, 9205 SW Fifth St, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

Hope was an avid life-long learner. She graduated Mills College in 1957, studying theology, literature, and philosophy.  Raised in the Christian tradition, she became Catholic upon marrying Fred in 1963 and they raised the children Catholic. However, her passion was Judaism, in which she taught herself to read, write and speak Hebrew. She joined the Jewish faith in the late 1980’s. Throughout her life she was an avid reader and attended lectures and college courses.  Mom continued learning, via Zoom, despite COVID.

Hope (& Fred) loved to travel around the world, including Asia, Europe, Russia, Israel and Alaska. She enjoyed ball room dancing, backpacking, horseback riding, cruises and reading the newspaper. Mom was an ardent feminist, enjoyed politics and social justice issues as well as being creative with photography, writing and artwork.

She was a proud direct descendent of John Jay, the first chief justice on the United States and lived briefly on the homestead in Bedford NY during WWII with her mother. Hope’s parents divorced during WWII so she spent her time between rural Arizona and Utah, Bedford NY, and Woodside CA. She was a skilled horse woman, taught by her grandmother and mother, and excelled at this while rounding up cattle in Arizona & Utah.

Her children were raised mostly in Mill Valley CA and Mechanicsburg PA, where Hope spent the last 40 years of her life.  Her family moved her to Oregon to be close to Sarah in May 2024; she entered hospice a week later and died peacefully on June 3, 2024. Her family is grateful for the care provided by Tenderly Hospice and Mountain View ACH. Funeral arrangements were coordinated by Johnson Funeral Home in Salem OR.

Those who so desire may make memorial donations, in memory of Hope to:

• Beth El Synagogue
  • 2637 North Front St, Harrisburg, PA  17110 (717.232.0556)
  • www.bethelhgb.org
• CATRA (Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association)
  • PO Box 339, Grantville, PA  17028 (717.298.7035)
  • www.CATRA.net
• John Jay Homestead
  • Friends of John Jay Homestead - PO Box 148 Katonah, NY 10536  (914.232.8119)
  • www.johnjayhomestead.org
• Bethany Village Benevolent Care Fund
  • Bethany Village Benevolent Care ( https://give.asburg.org/give/503081/#!/donation/checkout )
• Planned Parenthood – www.plannedparenthood.org