M/SGT (Ret) Tom J Pittman Sr., 96, of Hackett, Arkansas died Saturday, March 24, 2018. He was born on September 6, 1921 in Hackett to Charles F. and Nancy Elizabeth Pittman. He was a 1941 graduate of Hackett High School and retired from the US Army in 1962 and from Whirlpool Corporation in 1987. He also worked as a form carpenter on the Arkansas River Dams at Sallisaw, Spiro, and Barling. He joined the 142d Field Artillery, Arkansas National Guard in 1938 and was part of units Federalized in 1941. He was a combat veteran of WWII, serving with 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion during the Battle of the Bulge and various other actions in the European Theater in 1944-45 and was stationed in Italy in 1946-47 with the 350th Inf. Div/88th Anti-Tank Co. as part of the Occupation Forces. He served with the 73rd Tank Battalion in Korea in 1952-53 providing fire support for Korean and US troops. He was a member of Amity Lodge#267 and a 32nd degree Mason.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Nancy Elizabeth Pittman, his first wife of 51 years, Mary Luna (Williams) Pittman, sisters, Mildred, Marianne, Doris, Mary Elizabeth, and brothers, Otis, Claude, Gene and Paul.
He is survived by his wife, Jessie Pittman of Rock Island, Oklahoma; two sons, Tom J. Pittman Jr. and wife, Nancy of Plano, Texas and William Charles Pittman and wife, Betty Lou of Hackett, Arkansas; four grandsons, William Charles Pittman Jr., and wife, Melissa of Gravette, Arkansas, Tom J Pittman III (Tripp) and wife, Jill of McKinney, Texas, John David Pittman and wife, Kristen of Little Rock and Trent Pittman of Plano, Texas and six great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be his four grandsons, Will Pittman, Tripp Pittman, John David Pittman, Trent Pittman and Cleo F. Mackey Jr. and Terry Duboise. Honorary pallbearers will be William F. Williams Jr., Rev. William F. Williams III, H.B. Duboise and Charlie Bishop.
Funeral service will be at 10 am, Friday, March 30, 2018 at the Hackett United Methodist Church with burial to follow at Old Union Cemetery in Hackett. Visitation will be at McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood on Thursday, March 29, 2018 from 1-6 pm. The family will receive friends from 4-6 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Old Union Cemetery, 7106 Bermuda Grass Loop, Hackett, AR 72937, Hackett United Methodist Church, PO Box 409, Hackett, AR, 72937 or the Hackett Education Foundation, PO Box 23, Hackett, AR, 72937.
