Joan Pitts
August 31, 1931 – September 28, 2021
Joan Riley McNamara Pitts, age 90, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. Born in Rochester, New York, on Aug. 31, 1931, she was the only child of Marie (Petzing) and Vincent Riley. Following Vincent’s death in 1935, Joan and Marie joined Daniel (Marie’s brother) and Mary Petzing’s household, staying throughout Joan’s school years.
Joan graduated from Rochester’s John Marshall High School in 1949. She was an honor student, cheerleader and participated in sports and choir. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Rochester in 1953 and 1959, respectively. Joan spent most of her career in Westchester County schools, where she taught several grades, including kindergarten and, her favorite, third grade.
Joan married Thomas McNamara; they were together 26 years until his death in 1987. Retired, Joan connected with friends and tried living in Reading, Salt Lake City and Napa. No place “shook her up,” so she went “home to Rochester” and found old and new friends who became her family.
In 2009 Joan ran into her old friend Bertha “Berthe” Santirocco at the grocery store. Berthe was having a group of her University of Rochester friends for Easter dinner and added Joan to a guest list that included James (Jim) Pitts. Joan and Jim made an instant connection and realized that Joan and Jim’s late wife, Betty Brownell Pitts, had known each other when they were undergraduates. Soon Joan, who had no children, and Jim, who had four daughters and six grandchildren, decided to become one family. They were married that October. Joan quickly got to know Jim’s daughters’ families, and over the next 12 years, followed all their adventures.
Joan spent many years in community theater and continued to enjoy singing show tunes (particularly from Oklahoma). Joan and Jim’s adventures included river boat cruises, seasonal travel to Sun City Center, Fla., and visiting with the people they met through Jim’s participation in masters swimming.
Joan is survived by her husband Jim; Jim’s daughters, Cynthia (Harkleroad), Diana (Stuart), Donna (Dalton) and Linda (Snyder) and their families; and sister-in-law, Sue McNamara, and her family.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to a breast cancer program of your choice.
Joan graduated from Rochester’s John Marshall High School in 1949. She was an honor student, cheerleader and participated in sports and choir. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Rochester in 1953 and 1959, respectively. Joan spent most of her career in Westchester County schools, where she taught several grades, including kindergarten and, her favorite, third grade.
Joan married Thomas McNamara; they were together 26 years until his death in 1987. Retired, Joan connected with friends and tried living in Reading, Salt Lake City and Napa. No place “shook her up,” so she went “home to Rochester” and found old and new friends who became her family.
In 2009 Joan ran into her old friend Bertha “Berthe” Santirocco at the grocery store. Berthe was having a group of her University of Rochester friends for Easter dinner and added Joan to a guest list that included James (Jim) Pitts. Joan and Jim made an instant connection and realized that Joan and Jim’s late wife, Betty Brownell Pitts, had known each other when they were undergraduates. Soon Joan, who had no children, and Jim, who had four daughters and six grandchildren, decided to become one family. They were married that October. Joan quickly got to know Jim’s daughters’ families, and over the next 12 years, followed all their adventures.
Joan spent many years in community theater and continued to enjoy singing show tunes (particularly from Oklahoma). Joan and Jim’s adventures included river boat cruises, seasonal travel to Sun City Center, Fla., and visiting with the people they met through Jim’s participation in masters swimming.
Joan is survived by her husband Jim; Jim’s daughters, Cynthia (Harkleroad), Diana (Stuart), Donna (Dalton) and Linda (Snyder) and their families; and sister-in-law, Sue McNamara, and her family.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to a breast cancer program of your choice.