John Fleming Prather died Sept. 11, 2008, at his home in Kalispell. He was 61 years old. John was born Dec. 12, 1947, in Jacksonville, Fla., to Walter and Virginia Prather.

He lived in Florida for most of his childhood until he enlisted in the Navy on May 24, 1966. He was a decorated Vietnam veteran and was honorably discharged Jan. 30, 1970.

John soon married Laurie Harbin in 1971. In 1975, they moved to Kalispell and had their first daughter, Mechelle LaMee, in 1979. In 1982, Stephanie Renee was born in Oregon.

John loved the Flathead Valley and the beauty that surrounded him. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and a competitive sailboat racer. John worked in mortgage banking for many years until he found his love for designing log homes. His skillful artistry created many of the beautiful log homes surrounding Flathead and Whitefish Lakes.

John was preceded in death by his father, Walter Witty Prather.

He is survived by his mother, Virginia Prather, his brother, Walter Prather, and sister, Patrice Levin, all of Florida; his daughters, Mechelle Prather and fiance, Gary Thomson, of Kalispell, and Stephanie Urdahl and husband, Johnny, of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; and his grandchildren, Logan Bowers and Brynn Urdahl. John had an extended family that he considered his own children, Aaron and Nichomi Dodds of Kalispell, and their children, whom John loved as much as his own grandchildren, Alura, Rannon and Triniti Dodds.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at The Assembly of God Church in Columbia Falls. Anyone wishing to send flowers please send to the church in care of John.