Frederick William Pitts

Frederick William Pitts, M.D., prominent Los Angeles Neurosurgeon, passed away on Monday, September 12, 2016 in Highlands Ranch, Colorado at the age of 86. He was born on October 14, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan and was the son of Frederick W Pitts, Sr. and Edna Green Pitts of Pittsburgh, Pa. Dr. Pitts received a B.S degree with high honor in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950, an M.D from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954, and became certified by the American Board of Neurologic Surgery in 1964. For more than 20 years, Dr. Pitts was full time professor at USC School of Medicine. He jointly created the Neuroscience Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital for research and practical medicine, opening the only Gamma Knife unit on the West Coast as of 1991. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors and past president of the Good Samaritan Medical Group, and was a founding member of the American Trauma Society in 1973, as well as charter member of the International Association of Pediatric Neurosurgeons in 1972. His memberships also included the L.A. Society of Neurology and Psychiatry, The Western Neurological Society, and American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Pitts worked out of his office in the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Building and practiced medicine for 50 years. He held appointments at other California and Pennsylvania hospitals, including the USC Medical Center, Charles Drew Medical Center, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia Children's Hospital. Once a month for over a decade, Dr. Pitts saw patients while subleasing from the Family Health Clinic in Bishop, California. He loved visiting the Sierra Nevada, CA area, not only to see patients, but also to fish, ski, and attend the Mule Days Celebration. Dr. Pitts served as a physician with the rank of Captain in the 11th Air Borne and as an Army Ranger. Dr. Pitts was also a 65-year member of Freemasonry with the Geter C. Shidle Lodge 650 and R.W. Grand Lodge F. & A.M. 45 of Pittsburgh. He was a member of the military Masonic National Sojourners as a ""Hero of 76,"" as he saved the life of a fellow paratrooper on a jump by grabbing the soldier's suspension lines when his chute did not open, and then took the trooper down tandem. He played trumpet with the University of Pittsburgh band and subsidized his university tuition playing with popular bands of the day like Harry James. Besides music, Dr. Pitts also enjoyed a lifelong love of sailing, spending much of his free time on his sailboat ""Gemutlichkeit"" and international chartered cruises with the Los Angeles Yacht Club, some of which he himself organized. Besides sailing, Dr. Pitts also had a love for dogs, especially the two Akitas that he owned. He became president of the Akita Club of America and was responsible for getting Japanese Akita dogs AKC recognition. A loving husband, father, and grandfather, Dr. Pitts leaves his wife, Dolores Scott Pitts, two sons Frederick Pitts III (Dyna) of Buena Park, Ca., and John Pitts (Catherine) of Highlands Ranch, Co., daughter Linda Fillet (Daniel) of Huntington Beach, Ca. and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his youngest daughter, Victoria Creelman in 2005, and will be laid to rest with her at Green Hills Memorial Park in Palos Verdes, CA. Dr. Frederick Pitts was dearly loved by his family and highly respected by his peers and patients. Please share memories of Dr. Pitts and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.