Janice Claire Pitney

On Sunday, May 30, 2021, Janice Claire Morgan Pitney, an avid business woman, died peacefully during a reading of The Lord’s Prayer surrounded by her immediate family. Born in Hugo, OK to Roy Pleasant Morgan and Hazel Taylor Morgan, Janice was named after her maternal aunt Clarice Morgan.

Janice’s family were longtime residents of Durant, Oklahoma where her father Roy was a teacher and school superintendent, and who later formed his own insurance agency. Her mother Hazel was a teacher and following the birth of Janice and her younger sister Cynthia Ann became a homemaker. Janice attended school in Durant and then onto Oklahoma College for Women on a piano scholarship, followed by East Central State University at Ada, Oklahoma. At East Central she met and married John Rinard Thompson in 1956. The young couple moved to Oklahoma City and founded Thompson School Book Depository that same year, which continues today under the leadership of their son, John R. Thompson, II. That was when Janice realized, “no more piano – now it was all business.” Mentored by her beloved father-in-law James Thompson, Janice found that her true passion in life was business. In 1959, daughter Jill Morgan Thompson was born and in 1961, son John Rinard Thompson, II was born.

In 1970 the couple moved to Atlanta, Georgia to start a business there. In 1977, John returned to Oklahoma City and Janice founded a new company on her own focused on specialty distribution, Distributors International. It is here that Janice came into her stride. In a business world dominated by men, Janice broke every glass ceiling imaginable. Due to her unwavering work ethic and commitment to success, she created a business that eventually became the largest of its kind in the southeast United States, showcasing her accomplishments in numerous national business publications. Janice cherished this time in her life as well as the many friendships made in the world of publishing and distribution that remained until her passing.

While in Atlanta, Janice met the love of her life Tom Pitney in 1977 who became her partner in business and life. Together they traveled the world spending time between their homes in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Janice and Tom retired in 1998 and began to enjoy the fruits of their labors which were truly some of the happiest times of Janice’s life. Tom and Janice also purchased a home in Oklahoma City so that Janice could be closer to her son, daughter, and family in Texas.

After Tom passed in 2011, Janice’s heart was no longer in Ft. Lauderdale, and she moved to Oklahoma City fulltime joining Nichols Hills United Methodist Church, where she fully emersed herself in church committees and various social activities, taking her beloved Cavalier King Charles, Finn with her to meetings. Janice was a member of the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, where she enjoyed serious bridge playing and a perfectly made Ketel One martini, shaken, straight up with three olives and shaker ice on the side. And for heaven’s sake, don’t forget a spoon for the shaker ice! Despite being seven years apart, Janice and her sister Cynthia were incredibly close, speaking daily if not more often, shopping together, and living life to the fullest. Janice dearly loved spending time at Lake Texoma with Cynthia and Fran and all of the Plyler family, to whom she was extremely close. She was a voracious reader always in the know of the latest authors. Janice was a member of the Oklahoma County Bar Auxiliary, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and was a generous supporter of Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, Inc., and other local charities, where she made many more friends with her vivacious personality and quick wit. Never one with the time to “age”, Janice was far more concerned with keeping up with fashion trends, gardening, and making travel plans with her family. On a 2019 trip to Cancun with son, daughter in law and grandchildren Chad and Lindsea, only a sudden rainstorm kept her away from an afternoon of parasailing with Lindsea.

Of all of her remarkable life achievements, her greatest was the relationship she had with her son John. She and John shared a love of literature, rare books, art, cars, and enjoying living life to the fullest. John mirrored both hers and Tom’s work ethic which was a source of great pride to both.

In the middle of COVID-19, Janice was diagnosed with lung cancer which she took on in the same manner as other challenges in her life remarking that “it was no hill for a stepper.” Having conquered lung cancer, Janice was ready to move on to the next trip planned for Cabo in September and recently bought herself another Porsche. Janice just simply had no time, nor the intention of getting old.

Janice is survived by her sister Cynthia Plyler Karam (Fran), son John R. Thompson, II and daughter-in-law Tsinena Bruno Thompson, grandchildren Chad Ballew and Lindsea Ballew, John Jameson (Jill Thompson); stepson Gordon Pitney and wife Jayne of Naples, FL. and their children Michelle Duplessis and Bryan Pitney, great-granddaughter Aubrey Jameson (John Jameson), numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Finn, who will be lovingly joining John and Tsinena’s pair of cavies, Boo and Oliver.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 2nd at Nichols Hills United Methodist Church at 2:00pm. The service will also be live streamed on the church’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/nicholshillsumc. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Janice’s name to Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, Inc., 5900 N. Classen, Oklahoma City, OK 73118.