Homer Pitts

Homer was born on March 4, 1927 in Elk City, Oklahoma to Dwight and Eula Jo Pitts. He attended schools in southwest Oklahoma and west Texas, entering the US Navy his junior year at Lawton High School and training in San Diego and the Thermal, California air base, then serving on Kwajalein Island in the South Pacific through his discharge in July 1946. Returning to Lawton, he completed Lawton High School, graduating in 1947. After attending Cameron College, he began his sales career with Parsons Candy Co. followed by a sales position with the Colgate Palmolive Co.

Homer met and married Shirley Vaught, the love and light of his life, marrying July 6, 1954. His career soon continued with a sales position with Duncan Coffee Company later becoming the Foods Division of The Coca-Cola Company. Homer spent the next twenty five years in a variety of sales and management positions with The Coca-Cola Company in Little Rock, Oklahoma City and then leading the sales teams in West Texas and New Mexico based in Lubbock, Texas.

Upon retirement from Coca-Cola in 1982, Homer continued his work in the grocery business as an Account Executive with Murdock Brokerage in Lubbock, and then as an Account Executive with the L.N. Close Brokerage business after moving back to Oklahoma City in 1988, allowing him to continue to work with his many friends in the food industry across Oklahoma and West Texas until retiring again in 1994.

After returning to Oklahoma City in 1988, Homer and Shirley re-joined the Putnam City Baptist Church and were active members. Homer taught a Men’s Bible study class for many years and served as a Deacon, worked to organize the food pantry ministry and served in many other capacities. In 2009, they moved to the Houston area to live with their daughter and son-in-law. On February 23, 2020, Homer suffered a massive heart attack and went to be with His Lord in Heaven just before midnight at Katy Memorial Herman hospital.

Homer is survived by his wife Shirley, two children, Cheryl Mills and her husband Stuart Mills of Katy, TX, and Steven Pitts and his wife Camille Pitts of Chester Springs, PA. Homer’s grandchildren include Christopher Mills and his wife Jamie Mills of Brookshire, TX; Russell Mills and his wife Chenda Mills of Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Scott Mills and his wife Katie Mills of Katy, TX; Brent Pitts and Dr. Cristianna Abilez Pitts of Kansas City, MO; Becky Newman and her husband Brendon Newman of Austin, TX. His great-grandchildren were the spring in his step, and include Ryan, Leona and Marshall Homer Mills of Katy, TX; Samantha and Michaline Mills of Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Valiant and Raiden Mills of Brookshire, TX; and Charles Pitts of Kansas City, MO.