Martha Sue Williams Pittman, wife of Dr. Carl S. Pittman, Jr., 88, passed away Saturday, February 5, 2005. Her funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 8, 2005, at Tifton's First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jerry Lillard, the Rev. Jay Roberson and the Rev. Dr. Sam Rogers officiating. Mrs. Pittman was laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Dr. Greg Anderson, Dr. Joel Johnson, James Herring, Tom Riddle, Joe Gray and Rob Reinhardt served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were member of the Loyalty Sunday School Class at Tifton's First United Methodist Church, President Betty Claxton and members of the Circle #5 of UMW and Mrs. Lois Purser, chairman.
Born October 26, 1916, in Millen, Mrs. Pittman was the daughter of the late J. C. Williams and Dolly Hendricks Williams. She was also preceded in death by an infant daughter; and one sister, Hazel W. Rosser. Her family moved to Tifton in 1931. She graduated from Tift County High School with honors; from Andrew College; and she received her AB degree for GSCW in Milledgeville, which is now Georgia College.
In 1982, Mrs. Pittman was honored with the George A. Wright Memorial Award for her community and church work in Tift County. She was the first woman so honored. She was the first president of the Tifton Pilot club; she organized the Tifton Junior Woman's Club; and she was a charter member and past president of the Azalea Garden Club in Tifton.
Mrs. Pittman received the Distinguished Service Award from the Tifton Council of Garden Clubs and was made a life member of the Garden Clubs of Georgia. She was active in Medical Auxiliary work, serving three terms as State First Vice-President and was a state board member for 30 years. She was made one of the first two honorary members of the State Medical Auxiliary. She was the author of two volumes of the Hisotr of Medicine in Tift County from 1872-1990.
Mrs. Pittman was the past Regent of the Tallahassee Chapter of the DAR; a member of the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims and Daughters of the American Colonists. She was past Chapter President, past State President and member of the National Board of the Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century. She was an annual invitee to the Georgia Women of Achievement Induction Ceremony.
Mrs. Pittman was the past president of the United Methodist Women, served on the administrative board of the church and was a member of the Loyalty Sunday School Class. She was Church Historian for 21 years and was the author of the Centennial History of the First United Methodist Church of Tifton in 1982; and she taught in Tifton's First United Methodist Church for 52 years.
Mrs. Pittman is survived by her husband of 64 years, Dr. Carl S. Pittman, Jr. of Tifton; three children and their spouses, Alice and Donnie Pennington of Fitzgerald; Charlie and Mallery Pittman of Charlotte, North Carolina and John Pittman, M.D. of Raleigh, North Carolina; four grandchildren and their spouses, Carl and Heather Pennington of Kennesaw, David Tara Pennington of Palm Bay, Florida, Reese Pittman and Claire and Taylor Roberts, all of Charlotte, North Carolina; four great-grandchildren, Abby Pennington, Reece Pennington, Hope Pennington and Brett Pennington; a sister-in-law, Jean Pittman Moore of South Hill, Virginia; and a brother-in-law, Aldine A. Rosser of Hannibal, Missouri.
Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of Tift Area, 618 Central Avenue North, Tifton, GA 31794 or Tifton's First United Methodist Church, 107 12th Street West, Tifton, GA 31794.