Alan Louis Prather

November 16, 1977 - March 1, 2022

Alan Louis Prather, 44 of Orlando, Florida, passed away on March 1, 2022. Alan was born on November 16, 1977 in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. He spent his childhood in Pittsburgh, PA where he learned a lot about early computers and robotics. He built a house out of Legos and equipped it with electricity in third grade, and he made his first robot at the age of 10. Alan had a love of all technology and always had the latest gadget. Alan graduated from Mount Lebanon High School where he was a member of the Mount Lebanon Rowing Crew. He studied at both Ohio State University and Carnegie Mellon University before moving to San Francisco to work in the Dot Com industry. He also worked for Disney and several computer companies in IT positions until his recent return to robotics. He spent some time in Washington DC before ending up in Orlando, Florida. Alan always had an iron in the fire and, most recently, he was designing a robot that could walk dogs, before his long battle with Crohn’s Disease overwhelmed him and he passed. He was predeceased by his father, Steven L. Prather, maternal aunt, Mary G. (nee Pettengill) Seluk, and paternal cousins: Beverly Murphy, Karen Robertson, Jan Evans and Jeannie Keller. Tragically, his mother, Virginia A. Prather, passed shortly after his death, due to unrelated causes. Alan is survived by his maternal grandmother, Helen M. Pettengill, West Chester, PA, paternal aunts: Jean Pellegrino, Milton, GA; Laverne May, Knoxville, TN; and Gaynelle Edwards, Keller, TX, and paternal nieces: Sharon Hess, Milton, GA; Colleen Case, Keller, TX; and Rhetta Hudson, Knoxville, TN and his maternal aunts and uncles: Suzanne (Dave) McKinney, Hoschton, GA; Marion (Marv) Murdoch, Hopatcong, N.J.; Helen Fachet, Hampton Cove, AL; Myles S. Pettengill (Linda), Lafayette Hills, PA; Patrick (Barb)Pettengill, Rock Hill, SC, Michael (Colleen) Pettengill, Londonderry, NH, Olivia (Rob) Maple, Galena, IL, Christine (Dan) McDevitt, Glen Mills, PA, and Barbara Jean (Bruce) Foster, Laconia, NH, and by many cousins scattered across the US. A memorial service is scheduled at 11:00 am on Saturday, July 30, 2022 at Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA. Alan had a love of animals, especially cats, and those wanting to honor his memory might consider donations to animal non-profits or the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (www.mycrohnsandcolitisteam.com.)