Frances Wightman Pritchett

FRANCES WIGHTMAN PRITCHETT died Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Ms. Pritchett was born Dec. 1, 1922, in Staten Island, N.Y., to Filomena Grosso Wightman and Walter Hough Wightman. She was preceded in death by her brother, Victor Grosso Wightman of Mathiston, Miss., and is survived by brother, Walter Hough Wightman Jr. and family of Staten Island, N.Y.; three children, Frances Pritchett of New York City, Beverly Petiet of Albany, N.Y., and Daniel Pritchett of Bishop, Calif.; and one son-in-law, John Petiet, of Albany, N.Y.. She is survived by seven nieces and nephews and their families. Ms. Pritchett graduated from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.. She married Carl Willard Pritchett of Niantic, Ill. in 1946 and divorced in 1959. She moved to Little Rock with her three children in 1959 and lived happily in her adopted city for the rest of her life. During her career as a legal secretary, Ms. Pritchett worked for Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court, Eastern Division. She served as secretary to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1969-1970. She concluded her career at the firm of noted labor lawyer James E. Youngdahl. Ms. Pritchett loved classical music and played piano throughout most of her life. She also enjoyed practicing yoga. Her interests included the Igbo language of Nigeria, which she studied extensively, and the Ga language of Ghana. She made three trips to Nigeria and had a lifelong interest in foreign travel and culture. There will be a celebration of life for Frances Pritchett at the Activity Room at Andover Place, 2601 Andover Court in Little Rock, on Saturday, May 19 at 2:30 p.m. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Arkansas Women's Project, 3802 West 12th Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72204. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.