John I Pitman

The family of John I. Pitman will host a gathering of family and friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. A service to celebrate his life of 81 years is scheduled at 12:30 PM on Friday, June 23, 2023, at Bacon Heights Baptist Church, followed by a graveside service at Resthaven Memorial Park. He died on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Please visit this page for floral purchasing, and an area to share stories of Mr. Pitman with his family.

John Ivan Pitman was born June 27, 1941, to Kenneth and Dorothy (Gribble) Pitman in Frederick, OK. He married Barbara McCoy on August 4, 1962, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Lubbock, Texas.

John and Barbara made their home in Littlefield, Texas, and moved to Lubbock in 1963. Two years later, on Feb 13, 1965, their daughter Tammy was born. On July 1, 1969, their son John Mark was born.   In February 1970, they moved to Visalia, CA, working with Gifford Hill Plastics. They lived in CA for 10 years and moved back to Lubbock in 1980, where they remained in the same home they bought over 40 years ago.

John and Barbara were charter members of Bacon Heights Baptist Church, joining in and remaining active and faithful members through today.  They enjoyed serving in ministry together, whether it was teaching in the High School or College Departments at Bacon Heights or serving as a Deacon family. They have fond memories of always having college students in their home, which was filled with love, laughter, a good meal, and plenty of fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth for students, many of which remained in touch with John and Barbara until their last days.

John served as a janitor at Gifford Hill Plastics in Lubbock, TX in the late 1960’s and eventually moved up to the position of Operations Manager.  In 1982, John began a career as an Operations Manager with Diamond Plastics Corp in Lubbock, where he served excellently and faithfully for 32 years before retiring in 2014. John enjoyed this latest season of his life as he poured his life and love into his family, including 4 grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, and one great grandchild, as well as continuing to serve in Lubbock Meals on Wheels, the Lubbock Lions club, where he was a member for 28 years, and the Lubbock Food Bank. He will be remembered as a man who loved the Lord fiercely with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind; and loved his neighbor as himself.  John lived out his life verse of Joshua 22:5, “to love the Lord your God, to walk in all of his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul” in every aspect of his life.

Mr. Pitman is survived by his children, Tammy (Tony) Zarbano, and John Mark (Jamie) Pitman; grandchildren, Taylor (Jaedon) Pachicano, Emily Zarbano, Nathan Zarbano, Cody (Amanda) Pitman, Jantzen (Sierra) Wells, Briley Wells, Zach (Lisette) Wells, Landen Wells, and Jaden Wells; great-grandchild, Malakai Pachicano; brother, Carl (Sharon) Pitman, and sister, Mary Vorheis.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Barbara; and siblings, Kenneth Pitman, Rose Davis, Bobby Pitman, Gary Pitman, and Donny Pitman.

The family of John Pitman suggests memorial donations to the Lubbock Meals on Wheels at https://lubbockmealsonwheels.org in his memory.

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