Remembering Jane Pitt
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield philanthropist Jane Pitt has died at the age of 84. Pitt was the mother of actor Brad Pitt, Springfield businessman Doug Pitt and Julie Neal. From serving as an elementary school teacher to contributing to the pediatric cancer center at Mercy Hospital, Pitt was known for her philanthropy and contributions to [...]

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield philanthropist Jane Pitt has died at the age of 84.
Pitt was the mother of actor Brad Pitt, Springfield businessman Doug Pitt and Julie Neal.
From serving as an elementary school teacher to contributing to the pediatric cancer center at Mercy Hospital, Pitt was known for her philanthropy and contributions to the Springfield area.
According to an obituary sent to Ozarks First from her son, Doug, Pitt was a dedicated educator at heart, beginning her career as an elementary school teacher and serving as one of the original "Parents as Teachers" educators.
Pitt was also a longtime volunteer at the Pregnancy Care Center in Springfield.
The family's one-million-dollar donation in 2009 helped establish the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital
Mercy told Ozarks First in a statement:
"Jane Pitt’s impact on our community and the kids Mercy cares for will last forever. We hope she is resting in eternal peace, and we have the Pitt family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Jane's compassion and love of children helped us open our Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center in 2009, and thanks to her generosity, we were able to bring the St. Jude Mercy Affiliate Clinic to our campus. Jane was truly a transformative person, and we are filled with endless gratitude to her and her family. She was one of those people you can’t help but want to emulate. She was generous, determined, joyful, loving and committed to using her life to serve others. We feel so blessed to have known her and been able to work alongside her in her mission to care for kids in the Ozarks.”
The obituary from the family says Pitt was passionately connected to Ethiopia, Africa, where her granddaughters are leading ongoing projects to support those communities.
The family also thanked Kamron Liepens and the Phoenix Home Health staff for their care over the past year, saying,
"Kamron's presence brought comfort beyond words during Jane's final season—a true angel to the entire Pitt family."
Pitt's family called her a gifted artist and a devout member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Mercy Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center located at 1235 E. Cherokee, Springfield, MO 65804 and WorldServe International / Ethiopia Clean Water: worldserveintl.org/janepitt.
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