Marion was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma on February 16, 1925 to Marion Sr. and Birdie Fite. They later moved to Anton, TX.
Marion met his future wife, Gloria Ruth Schiller (Ruthie), in middle school at Anton. After high school, they started dating, and Marion soon joined the Navy to support the war effort. He was stationed on the USS Bergen in the South Pacific during WWII, and was a Motor Machinist Mate 3rd Class. He was responsible for maintaining the landing crafts that delivered soldiers to the shores of Okinawa, Japan.
When he returned home from WWII, Ruthie & Marion were married on June 7, 1946, in Lubbock, TX. Marion started farming near Anton, TX, and Terry, their first son, was born in Littlefield, TX in 1948. They later moved to Hereford, TX where their second son, Bruce was born in 1953. Shortly after Bruce was born, they moved to Friona, TX where Marion farmed and owned a fertilizer business for many years. Marion was very passionate about farming, and especially loved seeing the crops being harvested. Ruthie owned and operated a floral shop and a ladies ready to wear store for many years. They resided in Friona until they retired in 1978, and moved to Lubbock, TX in 1983.
Marion and Ruthie enjoyed traveling for 22 years, and made many lifelong friends. Marion loved his family (children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great, grandchildren), and he was adored by them all. Marion and Ruthie were faithful members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church until they moved to Amarillo, TX in 2017. Ruthie went to her new home in heaven on February 2nd 2021, and they were 4 months short of their 75th wedding anniversary.
Marion was preceded in death by his parents, 6 sisters, 3 brothers, and wife Ruthie. He is survived by his two sons; Terry Duane Fite, of Lubbock, TX, Bruce Allen Fite and wife, Deborah, of Amarillo, TX; five grandchildren (Shawn Killough, Jeremy Fite and wife Nicole, Josh Fite and wife Bobbi, Christy Buchanan and husband Bruce, Dustin Fite and wife Ashleigh); ten great grandchildren (Ashley, Zane, Zoey, Asher, Skyler, Sawyer, Gunnar, Ticia, Tayla, Tasha), and one great, great granddaughter (Serenity).
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th, 2024, in the Chapel of Resthaven Funeral Home in Lubbock, TX, located at 5740 W. 19th Street.
Officiating: Reverend Matt Wolfington
Pallbearers: Ronnie Wood, Lonnie Ellis, Jeremy Fite, Joshua Fite, Dustin Fite, and Zane Killough.
