Patsy Harrill Pittenger

Pittenger, Patsy Harrill - born in the heart of Knoxville, died on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at Shannodale Health Care Center. She was one of eleven Harrill family members born in the family home across the street from Knoxville High School on E. Fifth Avenue. She was 95 years old. Patsy was an avid Girl Scout. She and her sister, Susan, spent every summer from 1929 to 1935 at Camp Margaret Townsend, near Tremont, before the national park was established, and two more summers at Girls Scout Mariner camp on Norris Lake. These experiences instilled in her a lifelong love of the outdoors. Patsy graduated from UT in 1940, where she was an active member of Chi Omega fraternity and president of Mortar Board. In 1941 she married Frank Pittenger, a young mining engineer from Wisconsin. She and Pitt spent the next several years living in Mascot, TN, and numerous other mining towns in Tennessee, Virginia, and Pennsylvania before settling in Knoxville in 1952, where Pitt cofounded Ready Mix Concrete Co. They were happily married for nearly 69 years and raised three sons. Patsy was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, where she was baptized as an infant. She played piano and taught Sunday school classes for Senior High Students and the Presbyterian Women for many years. Patsy was one of the first women in that church to be ordained as an elder. She also served for many years as a “Pink Lady” volunteer in the medical library at Ft. Sanders Hospital. Patsy enjoyed music, especially Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concerts. She loved being in the Great Smoky Mountains and traveling all over the U.S. and Canada with Pitt in their motor home. She found the perfect summer vacation spot – Fripp Island, SC, -- and arranged many wonderful family vacations there. Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, Gaines M. Harrill, Jr., and Lola Newman Harrill; her husband, Frank H. Pittenger; and her son, James C. Pittenger. She is survived by her sister, Susan Harrill Polk; sons Gaines S. (Anne) and John (Martha) Pittenger; granddaughters, Katherine P. (Ben) Griffin, Loucinda P. (Foster) Haselden, and Ruth Pittenger; grandsons, Dale (Gina), Sam (Kallee), Gaines H., David, and Frank Pittenger; five great grandchildren; nephew Robert (Lucie)Polk, and great - niece Paige Galfano. Funeral service will be at First Presbyterian Church on Monday April 13th at 4:00 P.M., with the Reverend Dr. William C. Pender officiating. Family will receive friends in the Church Parlor at 3:00 P.M., before the service. Burial will follow at Old Gray Cemetery. Family expresses deep gratitude to all the staff at Shannondale Retirement Home, Assisted Living Facility, and Health Care Center for their loving care of Patsy for the past ten years, and to special caregiver, Janie Moon. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to First Presbyterian Church (or to the church building fund), 620 State St., Knoxville, TN 37902; or to Old Gray Cemetery , P.O. Box 806, Knoxville, TN 37901; or to the charity of your choice. Arrangement by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences at www.rosemortuary.com

Tributes

Patsy Harrill Pittenger

April 8, 2015