James Harrell Stitt

James Harrell Stitt—kind, smart, stubborn, sarcastic, and intensely caring, especially when it came to his family—lived a life full of purpose, humor, and unforgettable personality. To his students, he was known and loved as The Mighty Ummm; to everyone else, he was simply Jim, Dad, and Toots. Jim left behind a legacy defined by hard work, deep devotion, and a penchant for keeping everyone around him laughing.

His journey began at St. John’s School, where he attended from kindergarten through 12th grade. He went on to Southern Methodist University (SMU), putting himself through undergrad by working three jobs at once and earning his degree in Education. During his time at SMU, he was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha. Following graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and proudly served at Fort Knox.

Upon completing his military service, Jim launched a distinguished corporate career with Travelers Insurance, where he served in key leadership roles within Operations and Human Resources. Life truly began its best chapter in October of 1971, when he married the love of his life, Susan Altick Stitt, in a small, beautiful ceremony in New Mexico. Shortly after, they moved to Lubbock, Texas, where he served as Manager of the Operations Department. His corporate role carried the family across the country during the 1970s and 1980s, living in Houston, Keller, and Cincinnati. Yet while in Cincinnati, his heart continued calling him toward his true vocation. He packed up his family and returned to Keller, Texas, the place he always considered home.

Back in Keller, Jim dedicated himself to education, teaching English, and shaping the lives of countless students who adored him. His commitment to serving his community extended beyond the classroom. He served on the Keller Independent School District Board of Trustees for nine years, including serving as President, helping guide and support the district he cared so deeply about for three terms.

Beyond his career and service, Jim was a man of unmistakable passions and delightful quirks. He ate his weight in salt, loved gardening and reading, hunting for a deal, wearing Hawaiian shirts and sandals, and spent his early mornings sitting peacefully on the porch with a fresh cup of coffee, watching the birds, animals, and nature. His absolute favorite place on earth was Creede, Colorado, where he could spend hours building dams in the rivers and hanging out with squirrels on the porch.

He possessed a lifelong passion for U.S. history and knew virtually every fact, date, and detail about the Civil War. He loved reading about and visiting historical battlefields, frequently subjecting his family to background soundtracks of Civil War music and questionable TV reenactments. His cinematic taste was equally unique: he was a devoted fan of low-budget Japanese Godzilla and samurai movies with egregiously mismatched dubbing, a dubious viewing tradition he proudly passed down to his four-year-old great-grandson, Hayden.

A master of practical living (and dad jokes), Jim loved collecting silver coins and was entirely obsessed with coupons and never paying full price for anything. A typical Saturday involved driving to every single store in town to buy exclusively what was on sale and having a coupon. While his hauls rarely yielded the components of a coherent meal, he would triumphantly return home with dozens of cans of clearance green beans and cat food. He also had a very literal sense of humor when it came to teaching grammar, never failing to respond to his students’ common question, "Can you get on the computer?" with a dry reply of, "I don't know, can it physically hold your weight?"…. And the diatribe ensued.

Jim joked with everyone, from doctors and nurses to cashiers and complete strangers. His humor was so dry and delivered with such conviction that people often couldn't tell whether he was serious or joking, which only made him enjoy it more. In his later years, he embraced modern technology with pure, unbridled belief, thoroughly convinced that every AI-generated video on Facebook was 100% real and making it his personal mission to send them daily to the entire family.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, John Brown Pickens; his mother, Mary Rhyse Pickens; his brother, John Pickens Jr.; and his sister, Sharon Stitt.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Susan Altick Stitt; his sisters, Bettye Stitt Chambers, Cindy Stitt McAllister, and Cecile Stitt Stiles; his son, James Michael Stitt and daughter-in-law Melanie Elder Stitt; his daughter, Lara Stitt Morrow and son-in-law Bryan Morrow; his grandchildren, Ashton Phillips Adair and her husband Tyler Adair, Aidan Barrett Stitt, Ty Morrow, Christin Stitt, and Peyton Morrow; and his great-grandchildren, Maddox Adair and Hayden Adair.

Jim was one of a kind, endlessly devoted to his community and those he loved, and he will be missed beyond measure.