Janet C. Pitts

Mrs. Pitts carried her many roles in life with grace -- loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother -- always with the steadfast support of her deep Christian faith. She was fond of closing conversations with family members and friends by saying, "God loves you and so do I." She meant it.

Born July 19, 1927, in Miami to Rose (Goldman) Cliff and Frederick Cliff, Janet graduated from Miami High School. After World War II, she met a young Navy veteran, James H. Pitts, and fell in love. Janet and Jim were married in 1950 and enjoyed 58 years of happiness until Jim's passing in 2009.

For many of their years together, Janet worked as a school secretary before retiring and moving with Jim to Tallahassee to be near family. Not long after Jim's death, Janet moved to Westminster Oaks, where she was cherished by many friends over the past 15 years.

Janet and Jim were blessed with three children to raise in the Miami suburb of Hialeah: Hal, Susan and Doug. They were proud of their offsprings' career accomplishments in education, children's health care and law enforcement.

In addition to Susan Sink (Steve) of Ballston Spa, N.Y., and Douglas (Linda) of Tallahassee, Mrs. Pitts is survived by her daughter-in-law, Connie Pitts of Lenexa, Kan., six grandchildren -- Jamie Pitts, Kerry Smith (Kevin), Elizabeth Holve, Rachel McCann, Daniel Pitts (Hannah) and Ashlee Welch (Roman) -- nine great-grandchildren and four nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Jim, son Hal, and sister Roseann Cliff Munsell.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Maguire Center at Westminster Oaks. The Rev. Allen Gonzalez of Capital City Christian Church, where Mrs. Pitts was a member, will preside. Friends are welcome.

Interment will be next to her husband at Culley's MeadowWood Memorial Park in Tallahassee; there will be a private service for family with the Rev. Linda Pitts presiding.

In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Pitts asked that any donations be made to Big Bend Hospice (bigbendhospice.org/foundation), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org), Capital City Christian Church (ccctally.org), or Westminster Communities Foundation (westminstercommunitiesfl.org/foundation/donate/).