Edwin Lloyd Pittman
The Honorable Edwin Lloyd Pittman, former Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, former Attorney General, former Secretary of State, former State Treasurer, former 2-term member of the Mississippi State Senate, and former Brigadier General of the Mississippi National Guard passed away on September 25, 2024.
Mr. Pittman was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on January 2, 1935, as the fourth of five children of Lloyd Pittman and Pauline McRaney Pittman.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Barbara Lucille Peel Pittman and son Edwin (Win) Lloyd Pittman, Jr.; his parents; siblings, Mary Ann Pittman Francis (Gene), Joyce Pittman Tadlock (John), Franklin Reid (Buddy) Pittman, Sr. (Carolyn), and Kelly Lamar Pittman; also, his nephew, Franklin Reid Pittman, Jr. and niece Debra Francis Walker (Bo).
He leaves behind his wife, Virginia Star Lund Browne Pittman; children and stepchildren, Melanie Wakeland (John), Jennifer Martin (Ricky), Will Browne, Michael Browne, Joly Browne Nield (Bruce), and Betsy Browne McClendon (John); grandchildren, Barbara Hart Wakeland Byrd (Chad), Margaret Lucille Wakeland Haag (Aaron), John Thomas Wakeland, III, (Catherine), Edwin (Tad) Lloyd Pittman, III, Christian Reid Pittman, Lauren Nield Kump (Jake), Elizabeth Nield Jones (Nick), Connor McClendon, Bill McClendon, Taylor Browne, and Lindsey Browne; and three great-grandchildren.
At age 13, Edwin rode by train to our nation’s capital, where he served as a page in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman William Colmer. As a page, Edwin lived in a boarding house near the Capitol across from Washington Union Station and attended a school for pages in the attic of the Library of Congress.
He returned home to Hattiesburg public schools. He participated in school theatre productions, YMCA, and high school fraternal organizations. He was a member of Hattiesburg High School Class of 1953.
After graduating from Hattiesburg High School, Mr. Pittman attended The University of Southern Mississippi, where he was President of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Mr. Pittman’s other activities at the University of Southern Mississippi included ROTC, and participation in student government. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in political science, Mr. Pittman entered the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1957, where he earned his Juris Doctor, and served as President of his graduating class. During his law school days he married the late Barbara Peel, of Greenwood.
After graduation, the couple went to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Mr. Pittman’s military training. He began his political career in 1963, campaigning in the southern Mississippi Senate district of Forrest, Lamar, and Marion counties.
Mr. Pittman served this State until his retirement in 2004 and was proud to have done so. Edwin and Virginia married in 1996. Mr. Pittman grew up attending Fifth Avenue Baptist Church in Hattiesburg which later became Temple Baptist Church.
Later, he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Pinelake Baptist Church. Edwin and Virginia have been faithful members of Northminster Baptist Church.
A funeral service was held on October 2, 2024 at Northminster Baptist Church Jackson, Mississippi.
Gifts may be made to the Edwin Lloyd and Virginia Lund Pittman Scholarship at the University of Southern Mississippi.