Benjamin Franklin Pruitt Jr. (Age 76)
Memorial service info
Benjamin Franklin Pruitt, Jr.
July 6, 1948 – April 29, 2025
Benjamin Franklin Pruitt, Jr., 76, of Spotsylvania, VA, passed away peacefully at home on April 29, 2025, surrounded by love and family.
Born on July 6, 1948, in Washington, DC, Ben lived a life of deep service, devotion, and integrity. He served proudly with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, rising to the rank of Detective and earning multiple commendations for his exemplary work over two decades. After retiring from the force in 1989, he continued his commitment to public safety and community service as a Deputy Sheriff in McCormick, South Carolina, where he started and led a successful D.A.R.E. program that positively impacted countless young lives.
Upon returning to Fredericksburg, Virginia, Ben continued serving his community, working for the local school system until his final retirement in 2011. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he was a dedicated youth football and baseball coach with the Dale City Sports Club, where he mentored and inspired many young athletes. His love for community, fairness, and discipline left a lasting legacy both on and off the field.
Family was always at the heart of Ben’s life. He was a devoted husband to the late Mary C. Pruitt, with whom he shared 53 wonderful years. He is survived by his loving children, John Wesley Pruitt and Tammy Lynn Odum; eight grandchildren: MSG Robert Johnson, MSG Aaron Johnson, SSG Benjamin Johnson, C-La Johnson, Amelia Lowery, CJ Johnson, Laurel Pruitt, and David Pruitt; and 11 cherished great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his beloved twin sister, Betty Burleson, and sister Ruth Wunsh.
Ben was a man of faith who loved the Lord and found joy in the simple and profound gifts of life—golf, hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors. His strength, humility, humor, and dedication to others will be deeply missed but forever remembered.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse, 102 Lake of the Woods Way, Locust Grove, VA 22508.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America at https://myasthenia.org.
The following memorial event is planned.
Celebration of Life
Thursday, May 08, 2025 from 11 am-1 pm
Lake of the Woods Clubhouse
102 Lake of the Woods Way
Locust Grove, Virginia, 22508
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