Pettit, Michael Dean (Mike) of Montgomery, AL, passed away on Tuesday, December 29th, 2015, after a short bout with lung cancer. Mike was born on October 1st, 1952, in Bossier City, LA. His family relocated to El Paso, TX when he was a small child and he spent most of his childhood there. After graduation from high school, Mike enlisted in the United States Air Force and after completing basic training and tech school, he was assigned to the security police division at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base. It was while on this assignment that he met and married his beloved wife of 43 years, Martha Brown Pettit. Mike was sent to Vietnam on a classified mission with the Office of Special Investigation (OSI) and it was there that he received a spinal cord injury which left him with a left-sided paralysis and confined to a wheelchair for most of the rest of his life. Disability is not a word that can be used to describe Mike because he could accomplish as much or more with one functional arm and leg than most people could with two. Mike was an inventor, a designer, a family man, a cat lover, a collector, and most of all a tireless volunteer. His greatest joy was helping people in need of rescue on land or water and when he discovered that Montgomery County did not have a search and rescue team, he and two other individuals co-founded one. Montgomery County Search and Rescue (MCSAR) became well known throughout the state of Alabama and continued its run for 10 years until it was disbanded due to a lack of funding. During the time MCSAR was in operation, Mike served as Commander of the unit and also served as President of the Alabama Association of Rescue Squads (AARS) for one term. Mike was also recognized for his volunteer service on a national level when he received the JCPenney Golden Rule Award in 1998 and the Air Force Volunteer Excellence Award in 1999. Mike also served as a Sheriff's Deputy in the Macon County Detention Center where he was instrumental in setting up an improved intake process for detainees. As an entrepreneur, Mike engineered and manufactured several products for motor homes and travel trailers and a series of LED lights for emergency vehicles. Mike was preceded in death by his Mother and Father, Georgia Frost Pettit and Donald Pettit, his infant brother, Roger Dale Pettit, his Mother and Father in-law, Katie Lane and Noel Brown, and his Sister in-law Linda Branch Brown. He leaves to cherish his memory, his loving wife, Martha Brown Pettit, his daughter Faith Pettit Banks of Montgomery, AL, his grandchildren Erica Lee and her partner Christopher McPherson, of Prattville, AL, Aisha Lee and her partner Joshua Billings of Millbrook, AL, and Micah Banks of Montgomery, AL, as well as his brother Lewis Frost Jr. and his wife Merrill of New Orleans, LA, his sister Donna Pettit of El Paso, TX, his brother in-law Lane Brown of Greenville, AL, his sister in-law and brother in-law Ruth and Robert Bailey of Greenville, AL, his brother in-law and sister in-law, Jeff and Cathy Brown of Greenville, AL, and a large number of nephews, nieces, and friends. A visitation will be held at Alabama Heritage Funeral Home 10505 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL, 36117 on Friday, January 1st, 2016, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. A service of rememberance will also be held for Mike on Saturday, January 2nd, 2016 at the same location with Reverend Greg Swanner officiating. Pallbearers will be Lane Brown, Jeff Brown, Andy Brown, Doug Bailey, James Merrett, Mark Thompson, Christopher McPherson, and Joshua Billings. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the former Montgomery County Search and Rescue (MCSAR). Flowers will be accepted, or if you wish to make donations in Mike's memory, he would prefer them to be sent to your local humane society.
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