Remembering a Faithful Brother...Louis Cecil Pitts

by David Shannon

Louis Pitts was a faithful husband, father, son of God, friend, and neighbor. Louis was born in Limestone County, Alabama and moved to Tennessee as a young man. He met the love of his life, Alene, in the late forties and was married in 1951. He served his country during the Korean Conflict driving a tank in Hamburg, Germany. He and Alene had a beautiful daughter, Dorothy, and six years later Cecil was born. His success as a husband and father is of the highest. He enjoyed making a living by operating and maintaining heavy equipment. He worked 38 years in this line of work, retiring in 1992. After retirement he enjoyed his own toys such as a D6 dozier, International garden tractor or a John Deere mower. He loved to work, especially outdoors. A transforming moment in his life was when he was baptized as a young husband and father. He was baptized into Christ after Kenneth Hackney, the late brother of Pat and a former elder, invited him and Alene to church. He lived the Christian life daily. He and Alene read the Bible together daily. They faithfully attended worship and classes. He always had a smile and word of encouragement for his brothers and sisters in Christ. He fulfilled the second greatest command and neighbors have story after story to prove it. Once after working on a neighbor�s car he refused financial compensation. The neighbor hid the money in the bag. Louis found it, returned and kindly informed them, �I�ll stop working on things if you start paying.� He simply wanted to be a good neighbor, not a laborer for hire. His son-in-law Don Wright of McDonald, Pennsylvania, said that Louis was the most unselfish person he had ever met. His grandson-in-law Chad Slovic stated words similar to what his grandson Dustin Wright had said, �he was just the man you want to grow up to be.�
Solomon said, �Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might� ( Ecclesiastes 9:10). This is a great description of Louis Pitts. He worked with all his might to use the opportunities, abilities, and blessings God gave him. His funeral service began with Dorothy describing her father with words of the highest praise for his hard work and success as a godly man. Cecil has been a constant help throughout their life, but especially taking off work the last few months to offer care for his father. His children magnify his praise worthiness as a father. Mrs. Alene has been a faithful wife for 55 years and compassionate caregiver to the end. She brings life into perspective as she said, �If you have a good home and a good church family�that is about the closet thing to Heaven. Everything else doesn�t matter too much.� Louis Pitts provided much for his family. Patrick Henry wrote in his will, �This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.� Louis Pitts passed from this earth on December 28, 2006. This great and faithful man will be sorely missed, but he leaves behind a wonderful spiritual estate and �works do follow� him ( Revelation 14:13).