On Aug. 30, 2005, Matilda Catherine Hoeffner-Pratt passed away peacefully from natural causes in her 93rd year in Brookhaven, NY. Matilda was the third child of Andrew and Elizabeth Hoeffner, one of East Meadow's older families. Matilda was born on Carmen Ave. in East Meadow on the Becker farm in 1911 where her parents were living after moving from Elmont, a German farming community. Her parents purchased the East Meadow Hotel in 1914 where today's East Meadow Town Square is located and ran the hotel as such until prohibition. After prohibition the family farmed in East Meadow until after WWII. The East Meadow Hotel is presently located in the Old Bethpage Restoration Village, where it is known as the "Noon Inn." Matilda attended the East Meadow Front Street School and in eighth grade she was awarded the merit of "Class Salutatorian." She also was a past president of the Ladies Auxillary of the East Meadow Fire Department, in 1941. Matilda was married to William Pratt of Westbury on Feb. 4, 1940. The Pratt family were lifelong residents of Westbury. Her husband William was co-partner of the Pratt Brothers Construction Company that was once located on Old Country Rd. across from Fortunoff's. Once married they lived in Westbury and then Old Westbury until their retirement years when they then moved to East Patchogue. She is the beloved wife of the late William John Pratt. She is survived by her children Donna, Rosemarie and William Pratt. Cherished grandmother of Dara Catherine Pratt. She was predeceased by her siblings, Edward, Helen, Andrew, Clifford, Ralph, Walter, Arthur and Raymond. Funeral services were held on Sept. 1 at St. Joseph The Worker Church in East Patchogue. Interment was at Holy Rood Cemetery.