Calvin B. Prather

Calvin "Dink" B. Prather, a retired Cobb County Fire Fighter, died Thursday, May 12, 2011 after a brief struggle with lung cancer. He was seventy-three years old. Calvin, better known to his friends as Dink, leaves behind his wife of fifty-two years, Linda Brady; along with their three children, Tammy Kimbrough, Tracy Colby and Tyler Prather; seven grandchildren; a sister, Monteen Carlisle, and many nieces and nephews. Calvin was a lifelong Marietta resident. He was born at Lost Mountain on July 4, 1937, the son of a sharecropper. Calvin and Linda married on January 31, 1959, and in 1960 he was drafted into the United States Army. He served honorably in the military for two years at Fort Bliss, Texas. It was in 1968 that he joined the Kennesaw City Fire Department which was later incorporated into the Cobb County Fire Department. In 1994 he retired from the department after twenty-six years of service. Twenty-four of those years were spent at Station 17 on Ridgeway Road which is now Barrett Parkway. Aside from his work and family, Calvin had several other passions and hobbies. He was an avid fisher, hunter, and gardener as well as devoted church member. He regularly attended Mount Calvary Baptist Church and was very active in their senior group. Outside of the church he sang bass with the gospel quartet “The Old Time Sound.” Calvin lived a full life and was loved by all who knew him. He will be sorely missed. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 287 Mt. Calvary Rd. Marietta, GA 30064. Services will be 11:00a.m. Saturday, May 14, 2011 in the Chapel of West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory. Interment will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Marietta. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday from 2:00p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Online guestbook available at www.westcobbfuneralhome.com