Alma Jean Fittes' Obituary
Alma Jean (“AJ”) Fittes
Born November 15, 1928 in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Died April 5, 2023 in Collierville, Tennessee
Alma Jean Fittes died peacefully in her sleep with family by her side.
She was preceded in death by her father Arthur Harry Smith (1976), her mother Mary Hermeine Smith (1996), her sister Carolyn Ann Richard (2012), her niece Ginny Warren (2016), her nephew Gary Wedyke (2013), and her niece Betty Carson (2016).
AJ spent her early years growing up in Michigan, mostly in Grosse Pointe Farms. She enrolled at Hillsdale College in the fall of 1946. She met her future husband, Samuel George Fittes in the bookstore line getting supplies for their first college classes. They went on to graduate from Hillsdale in 1950, and were married on August 5, 1950. After living a few short years in the Detroit area, they moved to Bay Village, Ohio, where they lived for 7 years. They then moved to Aurora, Ohio for another 5 years. In 1969, they moved to Germantown, Tennessee. Sam passed away in 1993, after nearly 43 years of marriage.
She joined the Chi Omega sorority while at Hillsdale, and recently received an honor for 75 years of membership.
AJ also joined P.E.O., a philanthropic organization focused on providing educational opportunities and other support to women worldwide. She was a second generation member, her mother also being an active P.E.O. Additionally, they were both past State Presidents: Alma Jean in Tennessee (1988), her mother in Michigan (1958). Alma Jean’s niece Sara carries on the tradition of commitment to service with P.E.O. as a third generation member. Their tag line is “Women helping women reach for the stars”. Alma Jean was recently honored for her 75 years of service to the organization with a celebration at Germantown Plantation Senior Living, where she resided at her death.
She was also very active with a variety of social activities in the community and was a member of Germantown United Methodist Church.
Amidst all this, she found time to spend 23 years as a Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Alma Jean is survived by four sons that she and Sam raised together. Barry (Kay) and Ronald (Sherry) were born in Michigan, Michael and Steven (Tiffanie) in Ohio.
She is survived by 8 grandchildren: Erin and Brad (Barry), Ronnie and Radley (Ron), Shelby and Tanner (Mike), and Mackenzie and Riley (Steve). She is also survived by 4 great grandchildren: Samantha (Erin), Quinn (Brad and Abby), Madison (Radley) and Olivia (Ronnie and Cori).
In addition, she is survived by several nieces and nephews: Sara Stratton (Robert), Jeff Richard (Stephanie), Cindy Victor, Sue Snyder and Tom Wedyke.
The family has entrusted her services to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery; 5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN. 38119.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday May 13, 2023, at Germantown United Methodist Church, 2331 S. Germantown Rd, Germantown, TN. Visitation will take place at 10:00 a.m. with the service
commencing at 11:00 a.m. followed by a reception in the Church Fellowship Hall. An inurnment service will precede these at 9AM in the Rotunda at Memorial Park Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Alma Jean to The Music Ministry at Germantown United Methodist Church (https://www.germantownumc.org/ways-to-give-2022), or to the P.E.O Foundation of P.E.O. International (https://www.peointernational.org/contributions-peo-founda
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