// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Marty Prather? A martry to bad weather?
Marty "The Sign Man" Prather | |
|---|---|
 Prather at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO in 2013 | |
| Born | Martin Glenn Prather May 26, 1958 |
| Died | September 25, 2025 (aged 67) |
Burial place | Saint Francis Borgia Cemetery, Washington, MO[1] |
| Other name | "The Sign Man" |
| Occupation | Pizza Store Franchisee |
| Organization(s) | Domino's, A&M Pizza Inc. |
| Known for | Professional sports fandom signs |
| Parent(s) | Eugenia McLemore and William Prather |
| Awards | Missouri Sports Hall of Fame member, 10 time Dominos Golder Franny Award national award winner |
Martin Glenn "Marty" "The Sign Man" Prather was a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and was inducted as the institution's first superfan in 2003. Prather received notable and repeated national and local media attention between the years 1985 and 2025 for his continual use of unique, witty, and professionally pronounced fan-signs at games for the St. Louis Cardinals and Missouri State Bears. Additionally, Prather also earned national recognition in his professional career as a Dominos pizza franchisee as a 10-time winner of the "Golden Franny" nationwide Dominos franchisee award along with his business partner Art Hurteau. Prather passed away in 2025 after battling illness.
Early life
[edit]Prather was born in Evansville, Indiana and raised in Bellbrook, Ohio. He grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan during the team’s “Big Red Machine” dominance of the 1970s. After getting his start in his professional career started with the Dominos pizza store chain as a delivery driver in 1976, he attended Wright State University and became a bigger Cardinals fan a few years later, when he and business partner Art Hurteau opened their first Domino’s Pizza franchise in north St. Louis County and he met team stars Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee.
Sports Fandom Career
[edit]
Affectionately known as “The Sign Man” for his unwavering love and dedication to the St. Louis Cardinals and Missouri State Bears, Marty waved his first sign at a sporting event during the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals. Believing it to be a one-time thing, Prather received a phone call from his father in Florida telling him that he and his friend – seen dressed in tuxedos holding up his “The Fat Lady Is Singing” sign – had made national television.[2]
A hobby was born. Prather estimated he made more than 700 signs with at least 1,400 clever sayings over the years. He was loyal to his teams, their coaches, players and fellow fans through thick and thin. Moreover, he became a lifelong friend and extended family member to many. Prather was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.[3]
People here saw him at St. Louis Cardinals games on TV all the time. They saw him at Missouri State games and Springfield Cardinals games...He was a local sports celebrity, but he would genuinely connect with anyone he met. He was full of energy, vigor and a childlike enthusiasm all his life"
An example of Prather being featured on a national televised broadcast was during Game 6 of the 2011 Word Series. Several minutes after David Freese's game winning home run, the Fox national broadcast featured Prather and his updated "Magic Number" sign that he used throughout the 2011 MLB Playoffs to count down the number of wins the Cardinals needed to secure their 11th World Series Championship, as well as other of his signs held up by his friends & family.[5]
Professional Career
[edit]Prather began working for the Domino's pizza store chain in 1976 as a driver at the campus store near University of Dayton, two weeks out of high school. [6] Prather parlayed that start into future success, as later he and business partner Art Hurteau owned and operated Domino’s Pizza franchises throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The duo was awarded the Gold Franny Award by Domino’s earlier in 2025 for the 10th time. The award is chosen among 750 franchise owners across the United States for operational audit scores, community involvement, store safety and team member morale. Upon winning the 2025 award with Hurteau, Prather was quoted as saying, "“We are incredibly honored to receive a Gold Franny Award, but we must give credit to the great team members we have in all of our stores,” Marty Prather said. “Seeing the motivation that each of our managers bring to work every day motivates us to be better for them.”[7]
Death
[edit]Prather passed away on September 28th, 2025 in Springfield, MO after battling illness. [8] His importance to the Missouri State sports program & popularity both locally in Springfield, the St. Louis area, & beyond led to his funeral service being held publicly at Juanita K. Hammons Hall on the campus of Missouri State University the following week on October 6th, 2025.[2] Former Missouri State coach Barry Hinson, who Prather became friends with when Hinson began his coaching role at Missouri State, spoke at Prather's funeral.[9] Prather was then interred at Saint Francis Borgia Cemetery, Washington, MO[1]
Awards
[edit]- 2003 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- 10 time Domino's Pizza company Golder Franny Award winner franchisee award winner
- "The Sign Man" Marty Prather Bobblehead giveaway day by Springfield Cardinals on June 12th, 2026 [4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Martin Glenn "Sign Man" Prather". Find A Grave. Retrieved 3 Aug 2026.
- 1 2 "Martin "Marty" "Sign Man" Prather". Greenlawn Funeral Home. Springfield, MO: Greenlawn Funeral Home. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- ↑ "Marty Prather". Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- 1 2 Hill, Benjamin (16 June 2026). "The Double-A Cardinals honored a St. Louis superfan, and the locals knew exactly what to do". mlb.com. Springfield, MO: MLB.com. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- ↑ MLB Vault (27 Oct 2011). 2011 World Series Game 6: Rangers vs. Cardinals Classic Games ([Video]). YouTube. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- ↑ Puryear, Scott (12 June 2025). Marty the Sign Man Prather ([Video]). YouTube. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- ↑ Bell, Russell (28 May 2025). "Two Springfield men win award from Domino's". Ozarks First. Nextstar Media Group. Retrieved 4 Aug 2026.
- ↑ Scranton, Lyndal (28 September 2025). "Beloved super fan, Marty Prather, aka 'The Sign Man,' dies at age 67". Springfield, MO: Springfield Daily Citizen. Retrieved 2 Aug 2026.
- ↑ Plein, Chad (3 Oct 2025). "Ozarks Life: Remembering "Sign Man" Marty Prather". KY3. Springfield, MO: Gray Local Media. Retrieved 3 Aug 2026.