Obituary - Ora Lee Tyson Pitts

Ora Lee (Tyson) Pitts was born January 3,1929 in Richmond Virginia. Daughter of Thrift William Tyson and Minnie Mozelle Sanderson. Graduate of John Marshall High School and Richmond Polytechnic Institute. Wife for 48 years of Hugh Douglas Pitts. Predeceased by her parents Thrift W. Tyson, Minnie Mozelle Sanderson, her brother Thrift W. Tyson Jr. and her husband H. D. Pitts.

Survived by her son, Douglas Wilson Pitts, and daughter Helen Hardwick (Pitts) Didlake both of Richmond, VA.
Her granddaughters Holly M. Pitts of Walnut Creek, CA; Christin (Didlake) Mustain of Richmond, VA; Meredith (Didlake) Glemboski of Long Island, NY.
Christin’s husband: Dr. John Andrew Mustian, Meredith’s husband: Jeffrey Mark Glemboski and five great grandchildren.
Great grandchildren: Landon Graham Mustian, Iylah Reams Mustian, Michael Jeffrey Glemboski Grace Marie Glemboski, Matthew James Glemboski.

Ora Lee Tyson was born January 3, 1929 in Richmond Virginia. She attended John Marshall High School where she was a cheerleader. She attended RPI and had an interest in fashion design illustration. She modeled at Miller and Rhoads before getting a bachelor’s degree in Art Edu. Ora Lee married Doug Pitts in December of 1952 and went to work as an art teacher.

“Old Lady Pitts” was what the students called her when she first started teaching when she was in her 20’s! She referred to herself jokingly this way all of her life.

Doug and Ora Lee had two children, while living in Ginter Park. Then moved to the far west end of Richmond in 1967 to a house they had built off River Road. Ora Lee loved to design the interior spaces in the house and was a flower gardener. Ora Lee attended Second Baptist Church where she sang in the choir and became a deacon.

Ora Lee was a beloved teacher of art at East End Junior High, Douglas Freeman High School, Crestview, Carver and Ridge elementary schools. Much beloved second grade teacher at Mayberry Elementary School 1968- 78.

She was a prolific painter in retirement and loved to visit art museums. Ora came from a musical family and learned to play the piano at an early age. Her love of art, design, music and fashion was infectious.

Her motto was “I’m not afraid of the devil himself.”

Visitation for the public will be held June 29th from 11-1 at Bennett Funeral Home in Glen Allen, VA, while a private graveside service will be later that day.