husband of Carmyn
US Navy
World War II
The obituary was sent to me to post by J. Tackett
Floyd D. Pitts, 87, of Fayetteville died Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at his home.
He was born March 10, 1916 at Stilwell, Oklahoma, to Nora
Eleanor West and Charles William Pitts.
During high school, Floyd taught shaped-note singing schools
across the Washington County area, tuned pianos, and played
fiddle with a string band whose performances included KUOA
radio in Fayetteville. He was valedictorian of his Morrow High
School class in 1935. He supported himself at Northeastern
State College in Tahlequah playing swing bands and other
musical work, graduating in 1939.
He taught music and Spanish at Rogers High School before and
after a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he
served as a disbursing officer at San Diego and on the USS
Neville to Shanghai. He married Carmyn Gem Morrow of Rogers
on July 6, 1945. In 1946, he obtained his masters degree in music at the University of Iowa before returning to Rogers as band director. In 1949, he took the band director position at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, where he initiated the Bi-State Music Festival. On invitation, his band marched in the Eisenhower inaugural parade.
In 1957, he began teaching in Miami, Oklahoma, where his band took top honors in marching and concert contests. During that time he also qualified as a registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. The family returned to Arkansas in 1967, when he established Pitts Piano Service and taught band at Lincoln, Arkansas and
Westville, Oklahoma. He retired from teaching in 1979, at which time he was selected for the Arkansas Band and Orchestra Association “Outstanding Bandsman” award. He continued work in piano repair, including restoration of player pianos and reed organs, until
the early 1990's.
He was baptized into Christ in 1957 and sang in gospel quarters regularly on Sunday morning broadcasts on KWHN radio in Ft. Smith. He was ordained as an elder in the South Hill Church of Christ in 1976.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Noah Pitts of Siloam Springs, and Harvey Pitts of Tahlequah; and one sister, Opal DeBrosse of Mesa, Arizona.
Survivors include his wife, Carmyn of the home; three daughters, Denele Campbell of West Fork, Lisa Banks of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Peri Schettler of Wickenburg, Arizona; two sons, Thomas Pitts of Richardson, Texas and Samuel Pitts of Woodland Hills, California; one sister, Verna Rogers of Sallisaw, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren; nine
nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2004 at First Christian Church in Fayetteville.
Graveside services will follow at the Combs Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
US Navy
World War II
The obituary was sent to me to post by J. Tackett
Floyd D. Pitts, 87, of Fayetteville died Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at his home.
He was born March 10, 1916 at Stilwell, Oklahoma, to Nora
Eleanor West and Charles William Pitts.
During high school, Floyd taught shaped-note singing schools
across the Washington County area, tuned pianos, and played
fiddle with a string band whose performances included KUOA
radio in Fayetteville. He was valedictorian of his Morrow High
School class in 1935. He supported himself at Northeastern
State College in Tahlequah playing swing bands and other
musical work, graduating in 1939.
He taught music and Spanish at Rogers High School before and
after a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he
served as a disbursing officer at San Diego and on the USS
Neville to Shanghai. He married Carmyn Gem Morrow of Rogers
on July 6, 1945. In 1946, he obtained his masters degree in music at the University of Iowa before returning to Rogers as band director. In 1949, he took the band director position at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, where he initiated the Bi-State Music Festival. On invitation, his band marched in the Eisenhower inaugural parade.
In 1957, he began teaching in Miami, Oklahoma, where his band took top honors in marching and concert contests. During that time he also qualified as a registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. The family returned to Arkansas in 1967, when he established Pitts Piano Service and taught band at Lincoln, Arkansas and
Westville, Oklahoma. He retired from teaching in 1979, at which time he was selected for the Arkansas Band and Orchestra Association “Outstanding Bandsman” award. He continued work in piano repair, including restoration of player pianos and reed organs, until
the early 1990's.
He was baptized into Christ in 1957 and sang in gospel quarters regularly on Sunday morning broadcasts on KWHN radio in Ft. Smith. He was ordained as an elder in the South Hill Church of Christ in 1976.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Noah Pitts of Siloam Springs, and Harvey Pitts of Tahlequah; and one sister, Opal DeBrosse of Mesa, Arizona.
Survivors include his wife, Carmyn of the home; three daughters, Denele Campbell of West Fork, Lisa Banks of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Peri Schettler of Wickenburg, Arizona; two sons, Thomas Pitts of Richardson, Texas and Samuel Pitts of Woodland Hills, California; one sister, Verna Rogers of Sallisaw, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren; nine
nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2004 at First Christian Church in Fayetteville.
Graveside services will follow at the Combs Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
husband of Carmyn
US Navy
World War II
The obituary was sent to me to post by J. Tackett
Floyd D. Pitts, 87, of Fayetteville died Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at his home.
He was born March 10, 1916 at Stilwell, Oklahoma, to Nora
Eleanor West and Charles William Pitts.
During high school, Floyd taught shaped-note singing schools
across the Washington County area, tuned pianos, and played
fiddle with a string band whose performances included KUOA
radio in Fayetteville. He was valedictorian of his Morrow High
School class in 1935. He supported himself at Northeastern
State College in Tahlequah playing swing bands and other
musical work, graduating in 1939.
He taught music and Spanish at Rogers High School before and
after a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he
served as a disbursing officer at San Diego and on the USS
Neville to Shanghai. He married Carmyn Gem Morrow of Rogers
on July 6, 1945. In 1946, he obtained his masters degree in music at the University of Iowa before returning to Rogers as band director. In 1949, he took the band director position at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, where he initiated the Bi-State Music Festival. On invitation, his band marched in the Eisenhower inaugural parade.
In 1957, he began teaching in Miami, Oklahoma, where his band took top honors in marching and concert contests. During that time he also qualified as a registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. The family returned to Arkansas in 1967, when he established Pitts Piano Service and taught band at Lincoln, Arkansas and
Westville, Oklahoma. He retired from teaching in 1979, at which time he was selected for the Arkansas Band and Orchestra Association “Outstanding Bandsman” award. He continued work in piano repair, including restoration of player pianos and reed organs, until
the early 1990's.
He was baptized into Christ in 1957 and sang in gospel quarters regularly on Sunday morning broadcasts on KWHN radio in Ft. Smith. He was ordained as an elder in the South Hill Church of Christ in 1976.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Noah Pitts of Siloam Springs, and Harvey Pitts of Tahlequah; and one sister, Opal DeBrosse of Mesa, Arizona.
Survivors include his wife, Carmyn of the home; three daughters, Denele Campbell of West Fork, Lisa Banks of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Peri Schettler of Wickenburg, Arizona; two sons, Thomas Pitts of Richardson, Texas and Samuel Pitts of Woodland Hills, California; one sister, Verna Rogers of Sallisaw, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren; nine
nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2004 at First Christian Church in Fayetteville.
Graveside services will follow at the Combs Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
US Navy
World War II
The obituary was sent to me to post by J. Tackett
Floyd D. Pitts, 87, of Fayetteville died Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at his home.
He was born March 10, 1916 at Stilwell, Oklahoma, to Nora
Eleanor West and Charles William Pitts.
During high school, Floyd taught shaped-note singing schools
across the Washington County area, tuned pianos, and played
fiddle with a string band whose performances included KUOA
radio in Fayetteville. He was valedictorian of his Morrow High
School class in 1935. He supported himself at Northeastern
State College in Tahlequah playing swing bands and other
musical work, graduating in 1939.
He taught music and Spanish at Rogers High School before and
after a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during World War II, when he
served as a disbursing officer at San Diego and on the USS
Neville to Shanghai. He married Carmyn Gem Morrow of Rogers
on July 6, 1945. In 1946, he obtained his masters degree in music at the University of Iowa before returning to Rogers as band director. In 1949, he took the band director position at Northside High School in Ft. Smith, where he initiated the Bi-State Music Festival. On invitation, his band marched in the Eisenhower inaugural parade.
In 1957, he began teaching in Miami, Oklahoma, where his band took top honors in marching and concert contests. During that time he also qualified as a registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. The family returned to Arkansas in 1967, when he established Pitts Piano Service and taught band at Lincoln, Arkansas and
Westville, Oklahoma. He retired from teaching in 1979, at which time he was selected for the Arkansas Band and Orchestra Association “Outstanding Bandsman” award. He continued work in piano repair, including restoration of player pianos and reed organs, until
the early 1990's.
He was baptized into Christ in 1957 and sang in gospel quarters regularly on Sunday morning broadcasts on KWHN radio in Ft. Smith. He was ordained as an elder in the South Hill Church of Christ in 1976.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Noah Pitts of Siloam Springs, and Harvey Pitts of Tahlequah; and one sister, Opal DeBrosse of Mesa, Arizona.
Survivors include his wife, Carmyn of the home; three daughters, Denele Campbell of West Fork, Lisa Banks of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Peri Schettler of Wickenburg, Arizona; two sons, Thomas Pitts of Richardson, Texas and Samuel Pitts of Woodland Hills, California; one sister, Verna Rogers of Sallisaw, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren; nine
nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2004 at First Christian Church in Fayetteville.
Graveside services will follow at the Combs Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove, Arkansas.
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