James Lavonne Pitts

A Memorial Service for James Lavonne Pitts, 88, of Timpson will be held at 1:00PM on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in the old fellowship hall. Family and friends are invited to stay after and enjoy homemade ice cream. 

James Lavonne “Jim” Pitts was born 17 Jan 1933 in Seedtick, Nacogdoches County, TX., the first of five boys born to I.D. and Alice Pitts.  He passed away at his home near Timpson, TX on Thursday, 29 Jul 2021, in the presence of his son, Jimmy, his loving caregiver during his last years.

Like many in the Pitts family, Jim loved to tell family stories.  The stories may have been embellished a bit, as he never let something as minor as facts stand in the way of a good story.

The first home he remembered near Harmony, belonged to his great grandfather, James Norvel. It had holes in the floor through which his “friends’ visited.  According to his mom, he never crawled. He rolled to get where he wanted to go. His mom watched one day as he rolled around, periodically reaching for something.  She found that a snake was poking its head up through a hole in the floor and pulling it back when Jim reached for it.   The family’s next move was into a boxcar in a logging camp in Fastral.  Jim’s job was to help watch younger brother, Billy, so that he didn’t toddle out the wrong opening, and tumble down the embankment into the river.  The family moved back to Nacogdoches County after his dad suffered serious injuries in a logging train derailment. WW II was picking up and the family moved to Texarkana, where ID worked in the munitions plant.  Available housing was nonexistent.  A farmer converted his chicken coop into a somewhat livable space and the family moved there.  They next moved to Houston, where his dad contributed to the war effort through his work in the shipyard. Once again, an accident required a job change when a pneumatic tool exploded in his dad’s face.  He worked as fleet manager for Borden Milk Company, then as maintenance mechanic for Mathieson Chemical.  This job allowed the family to rent a small 2 BR house in one of the “kit house” communities in Pasadena.

Jim was a student at Pasadena High School, when he heard the call of his nation for military personnel to address the unrest in Korea.  He joined the Army in Mar 1950, just 2 months past his 17th birthday.  He was a part of the force that landed in Incheon, Korea in Sep 1950.  He served on the front battle lines in Korea until his discharge in Nov 1952.  Jim trained as a medic until, what he called, a “slight overstay” on a post pass, resulted in his disqualification from the training.  In Sep 1952, he was serving as a mortar man in Northeastern Korea when several wounded soldiers had fallen and were caught on an open plain.  Under heavy enemy fire, Jim made several trips, crawling to each man, administering first aid, then carrying each back to safer ground.  In a frontline decoration ceremony, he was presented a Bronze Star for his actions and reassigned as a medic.

Prior to leaving for the military, Jim met Patricia Ann “Pat” Hicks, a tiny, black-haired, spitfire, who he vowed to marry.  He was discharged from the military in Nov 1952 and they married on Dec. 20, 1952 in Pasadena, TX.  Between 1953 and 1954, the family relocated to Austin, where Jim worked in the state mental hospital while attending Univ of TX. 

A job opportunity brought them back to Pasadena where Jim began work as a machinist for Baker Oil Tool.  He continued working toward a degree at the Univ. of Houston and earned a BS in Psychology.  He changed his focus from the mental health field to the oilfield industry, so he went back to the U of H and earned a second BS degree in Industrial Arts.  He was working on a Master’s Degree when, in 1968, he accepted the position of Safety & Environmental Engineer, responsible for OSHA compliance, with IBM in Austin. The family relocated to the Austin suburb town of Hutto.  Always committed to making where he lived a better place, Jim served on both the Hutto school board and the city council

On Nov 30, 1976, while driving home from a square dance, Jim and Pat’s vehicle was hit broadside by a drunk driver.  His precious Pat was killed instantly and Jim was critically injured. After many months of rehab and recuperation, Jim returned to work at IBM.  Wonderful friends saw that he needed help getting back to his gregarious self and introduced him to Bobbye Dean Decker Crocker.  Bobbye was the total opposite of Pat, except in their ability to make Jim happy and to stand toe to toe with him in an argument and come out the winner, or at least a draw.  She brought life and fun back into his life.  They married Jun 9, 1978.

Over the years, the effects of the injuries, that Jim incurred in the automobile accident, worsened, forcing a disability retirement from IBM. Seeing the retirement as a blessing, Jim and Bobbye traveled, went to flea markets to find items to repurpose and bummed around doing what they wanted, when they wanted.  They enjoyed happy, blessed years together until Bobbye’s death in Jun 1997. 

Jim’s mother’s health was declining and Jim, Billy and Dale wanted to move closer to her in Nacogdoches, County, where she was living with Jonny. The three boys purchased a property and established a “Pitts Commune” near Timpson.  The existing house on the property was built in Jim’s birth year, 1933, so he thought it fitting that he live there.  Billy and Dale built homes within spittin’ distance

True to his nature, Jim threw himself into community activities.  He moved his membership to the Mt. Enterprise Baptist Church and became active in serving the Lord there as the leader of the maintenance team. He set up a fully equipped shop at his home, where he spent many satisfying hours making wood toys and other wood items that he loved giving to children and adults who needed a boost of a loving gift.

Even though he had earned two BS degrees Jim never felt his education was complete because he didn’t have a diploma from his beloved, Pasadena High School.  In 2005, Jonny, contacted Pasadena School Supt. and asked if he could help James get his diploma.  The Supt. was thrilled to have the opportunity for the school to give back to a student who had given up his youth to serve our country.  Jim was invited to be the guest speak at the graduation of the Pasadena HS Class of 2006.  He was humbled as the young people proudly embraced him as a classmate and cheered him as he was awarded his diploma.  He waved proudly as he received a standing ovation from his classmates and the thousands in attendance.

Jim had a great memory for family stories and was an encyclopedia of family history.  He knew the names of all 110 first cousins and where they lived.  He looked forward to becoming the oldest among those living.  He accomplished that. 

Jim was predeceased by his parents I.D. and Alice Pitts; wives Pat Hicks and Bobbye Decker; brother, David Wayne Pitts and great grandson, Beau Alexander Pitts.  He is survived by his sons, Jimmy Pitts (Jeannie) , Richard Pitts (Carol); Bonus sons Charlton Crocker (Cee-Cee) and Hilton Crocker; Grandchildren: Chelle Tippelt (Ronald), Kristin Williams (Jeff), Kevin Pitts (Katy), Patricia Ann Pitts, Tina Grady (Sean), Daniel Pitts; Bonus grandchildren:  Matthew Stern (Brittani), Jade Irvin (Stormy), Skyler Bagby, Colton Crocker, Caitlyn Crocker, Lindy Crocker, Stephanie Cunningham, Will Cunningham, Travi Corbell, Katie Corbell and Casey Corbell; Great grandchildren:  Madison Swanson, Jamie Czajkowski (Brittany), Kaleb Bagby, Lance Pitts, Wyatt Pitts, Jaxon Wayne Grady, Alexandria Grady and Bradlee Pitts; Bonus Great Grandchildren:  Katy Kean, Qinn Okun, Max Cunningham, Jackson Cunningham, Ike Fedinick, Connor Corbell, Brody Corbell, Dixie Lynn Grady, and Sean Peter Grady, Jr.; Great-Great Grandchildren:  Luke Swanson, Payzley Jayne Czajkowski; Bonus Great-Great Grandchildren: Jace Stern, Caleb Kean, Oliver Kean; Brothers Billy Don(Marlene), Dale and Jonny (B.J.); Best friends: Jim Dildine (Carol), and Bob Tavern (Marlene).

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