Mary Alma Pitts

Mary Alma Pitts, a retired home economics teacher who had taught in city public schools, died of heart failure July 23 at her Northwest Baltimore home. She was 88.

Mary Alma Williams was born and raised in Ocala, Fla. She earned a bachelor's degree in home economics in 1935 from Florida A&M College. In 1947, she earned her master's degree in education from New York University.

In 1940, she married Nathan A. Pitts, also an educator, and the couple spent their early married years in Raleigh, N.C., where they were faculty members at Shaw University. Mr. Pitts, who was later an official with the U.S. Department of Education, died in 1998.

The couple moved to Baltimore in 1953, and from 1955 to 1965, Mrs. Pitts taught home economics at Morgan State College.

She later taught in city public schools for 15 years until retiring in 1980 from Samuel Gompers General Vocational School at North Avenue and Broadway.

Mrs. Pitts enjoyed designing and sewing clothes for family members as well as preparing Southern culinary specialties. She also was an avid vegetable gardener.

She was a member of several social and service organizations, including the Moles, Links, Baltimore Alpha Wives, Drifters and the Holidays. She was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Mrs. Pitts had been a communicant of the now-closed Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church.

She was a member of New All Saints Roman Catholic Church, where a Mass of Christian burial was offered Monday.

Survivors include a daughter, Mitra Pitts Rogers of Rockville; a sister, Ruth M. Land of Baltimore; and a granddaughter.