Patrick Chitty Taintor

Patrick (Pat) Chitty Taintor, 76, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, died peacefully on July 23 surrounded by his family. We lost one of the good ones, and heaven gained a man who loved people, music, and mountains, and whose deadpan humor could catch you completely off guard.

Born in Miami, Pat and his wife Wanda moved to Signal Mountain in 1974 after completing law school at Vanderbilt and earning his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Virginia. Together, they built a life on the mountain and raised three children.

Pat practiced law in Chattanooga for many years, but it was the people, not the legal briefs, who kept the work interesting. His desire to be good to people showed up not only in his relationships, but also in the time and service he gave to his community. He was a longtime member of Civitan and served on several nonprofit boards, including the Chambliss Center for Children.

Pat was happiest outside. He loved adventures hiking, canoeing, and backpacking, and he never heard a John Prine song he didn’t like. He passed his love of bluegrass and the outdoors on to his children, and stories of his epic road trip from Connecticut to Mexico City with his friend Trant inspired their love of travel. For this, they will be forever grateful.

Pat will be remembered for his kindness, quiet generosity, full-body laugh, deep and long-lasting friendships, and (very) dry sense of humor. He especially loved the movie Hot Shots, befriending strangers, the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, and Wanda. The quote “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits” sums up his ability to roll through life with little complaint, and even as these last years got harder and harder, he never lost his spirit, even when most of us might.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Kit (Demian Kato), Callie (Mike) Wiser, and Case (Sophie), his grandchildren, Davis, Patrick, Leigh, and Ethan, his brother Andy (Mary Lou), and his sister-in-law Ann. He was preceded in death by his wife Wanda, his brother Jim, and his parents James and Mary Louise.

A service celebrating Pat’s life will be held on Monday, July 27, at 11 am at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church (630 Mississippi Avenue) on Signal Mountain, with a visitation at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to Hosanna House, a nonprofit he long supported, or St. Timothy’s. Other ways to honor Pat include taking a walk in the woods, listening to a favorite song, laughing at a really dumb joke, or perhaps blowing all your money on hats. The family would like to take a moment to thank the staff on the seventh floor at Alexian Village on Signal and his caretakers, Alice, Andrea, Aubrey, Shannon, and his favorite “bad cold” Leslie for treating him like family over the last year and a half. We are forever grateful.

Arrangements are under the care of the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com