Elaine Marie Prater, 86, of Tomball, passed away August 10, 2021.  She is survived by her sons, David John Kelly and wife Deborah S., and Michael Joseph Kelly and wife Luann; grandchildren, Amber Kelly Hudson and husband Reid, Steven Kelly and wife Nicole, and Crystal Ralkey and husband Ryan; step grandchildren, Marcus D. Bruce and wife Debbie A., Chad A. Bruce, Kyle Wassman and wife Mistie, and Mikey Wassman; great grandchildren, Meira Kelly, Hunter Kelly, Harley Kelly, Lucas Kelly, Zoey Ralkey, Jacquelyn M. Bruce, David Wassman, and Daniel Wassman; sister, Delores K. Schnoes; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Including her parents, she was preceded in death by her great grandsons, Camren Kelly and Blake Greyson Bruce.

Elaine Marie Hewston was born July 13, 1935 in Columbus Ohio. She was the youngest of the 5 children of Joseph P and Kathryn Reed Hewston.  The Hewston family relocated to Pittsburgh from Columbus as part of a job transfer for Joseph who worked for Westinghouse.

Elaine grew up in the Pittsburgh area, graduating high school in 1954 and the graduating from the St Francis Nursing Academy in 1956. She began her nursing career there at St. Francis hospital in Pittsburgh.

Elaine married John David Kelly in the spring of 1957 after meeting him through friends and an Easter church service. Together they had sons David, born in Aug. of 1958 and Michael, born in Feb. of 1960.

The Kelly family moved to a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, where they lived until 1972 when the family moved to Port Orange Florida to be near family that had retired and relocated to Ormond Beach Florida several years earlier. Elaine started working that same year as an intensive surgical care nurse at Halifax Hospital where she worked until she finished up her 40 plus year nursing career.  Elaine and Jack divorced in 1974 and she continued to raise her two boys as a single parent.

Shortly after retiring from full time nursing, Elaine had the good fortune of working in the urgent care center at the Daytona International Speedway during race weeks. It was there where she was able to have the best of both worlds as she could continue to nurse as she wanted along with being up close and personal to racing as she had become quite the NASCAR fan.

Elaine married James Prater in the spring of 1983. She had known him for quite some time as he was a local handy man and lived in the same location, just up the street. They were married until that November when Jim passed suddenly.

Elaine remained single for the duration, focusing on her family, traveling, her core of friends in the park and her retired nurse buddies that she remained close to up to the very end.

Elaine finally relocated from Port Orange, Florida to Tomball, Texas in July of 2020 to be closer to family.  Her oldest son, David Kelly, her older sister, Delores Schnoes and her niece, Nancy Anderson, all live in the immediate area. She settled into and active over 55 community in Tomball where she was really getting into her new surroundings until her cancer diagnosis later in 2020 cut this next phase of her life's journey abruptly short.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew her either as family, a friend, a neighbor, as a coworker or even later on as a patient…

Memorial Donations can be made to: American Lung Association or COPD Foundation