C. Dudley Pratt Jr., who joined Hawaiian Electric Co. in its engineering department and rose to the top of the company, passed away Wednesday at his Kailua home after a long illness. He was 82.

"Dudley was a visionary who believed that as a local company, we have a strong responsibility to our community and our environment, and he put us on the path to harnessing renewable energy," said Constance Lau, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Electric Industries.

"Under his leadership, HEI diversified to invest in the original North Shore wind farm, which as the vanguard of wind energy development in the early to mid-1980s and contributed to where the technology is today.

"We will greatly miss him, but he leaves a legacy in our community that will not be forgotten."

In addition to his work at HECO, Pratt had a long list of accomplishments, including serving as a trustee of the Estate of James Campbell and being active in community organizations such as the Aloha Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Hawaiian Historical Society.

Pratt was a descendant of missionaries Dr. Gerrit P. Judd and his wife Laura Fish Judd. After graduating from Punahou School in 1945, Pratt received a B.E. from Yale University in 1950, an M.E. from Yale in 1951.

He also received an MBA from the University of Hawaii in 1971 and served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

He arrived at Hawaiian Electric in 1953 and by 1981 had risen to president and chief executive officer of what is the state's largest utility. Pratt is credited as helping lead the formation of HECO's parent company, Hawaiian Electric Industries. It was through HEI that the company diversified, acquiring such local companies as American Savings Bank and Hawaiian Tug & Barge and Young Brothers.

He is survived by sons, C. Dudley Pratt, III, and Timothy G. Pratt, both of Oregon; daughters, Sarah Pratt Quinn of California and Melinda Pratt Walker of the Big Island; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brother, David W. Pratt of Kauai; sister, Joan C. Pratt of Honolulu.

A memorial service is scheduled on Monday, June 7, at 5 p.m. at Central Union Church. Private burial will be at Oahu Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Aloha Council, Boy Scouts of America, 42 Puiwa Road, Honolulu 96817, or to Central Union Church.