Theresa Cecile Pruett, the epitome of kindness and generosity, departed from this world and was welcomed into the arms of her Lord the evening of September 11, 2024. Theresa Pruett passed away peacefully in her sleep with her family by her side at Infinity Hospice Care in Las Vegas, Nevada at 89 years young. 

Theresa was born on October 21,1934 in Woonsocket Rhode Island to Jeanne and Joseph Staves, Sr. The family eventually moved to Redlands California where she later met and married Merle “Frank” Bindner right out of high school. They had seven children together: Merle, Wayne, Terry, Joey, George, Jeff, and Kathy. With Frank being in the military, they got to travel the world. They eventually returned to settle back in Redlands in 1952. After many years together they divorced and Theresa then met and married Joseph H. Pruett in 1972. Eight years later in 1980 he moved her from Redlands to Las Vegas Nevada taking her daughter Kathy with them.

Theresa was a kind and giving soul who was adored by so many. With her infectious smile and boundless heart, she made every room shine and every life she touched better for it. She was a beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Great-Great Grandmother, Sister, and Aunt. Her family was the most important thing to her. She made numerous friends over the years in her accomplished career in the restaurant service industry. Reluctantly after twenty years of dedicated service, she retired from The Bighorn Casino where she was affectionately known to all as “Mama Theresa.” Theresa loved people and it showed. With her sharp mind and enthusiastic sense of humor, she made everyone around her laugh and smile. She also had a fierce love of animals, especially her beloved toy poodle Gigi. She also loved to sit outside where she fed the birds and enjoyed talking away to them. One of her favorite places to visit was Disneyland but she was always up for a trip to visit fun places, seeing many sights with her daughter and son-in-law, Kathy and Derek MacElwain. Her legacy will live on through the countless lives she has touched.

Theresa is preceded in death by her parents Jeanne and Joseph, her siblings Joseph, Ernest, Robert, William, Jackie, and Shirley, her sons Merle, George, Joey, and her daughter Terry. She is survived by her sister Patricia Staves, her daughter Kathy, her sons Wayne and Jeff, and her many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. 

A public Memorial Service for Theresa is to be held on October 5, 2024, at 11am at Giddens Memorial Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada