Joy Pitts joined her heavenly father on August 11, 2025. Born to the late Monroe and Lillian King on November 18,1934 in Trinity Texas, Joy attended Trinity Highschool and gave her heart to the Lord at a young age at Dorcas Wills Memorial Baptist Church.  There she received her first introduction to mission work from "loyal and dedicated teachers."

After graduating as Valedictorian of her class and receiving a full scholarship, Joy moved to Houston to attend Massy Business College prior to enrolling at Blinn College and continuing her education.  However, God had other plans for her that summer when she met Sam "Buddy" Pitts. She married the love of her life on May 30,1954 at Dorcas Wills Memorial Baptist Church in Trinity, Texas.  Settling in Houston, Joy worked as a legal secretary while Sam attended the University of Houston.  After graduation, they settled in the East End of Houston where they were faithful in using their time and talents at Mason Drive Baptist Church.  Moving to Sagemont in 1972, they moved their membership to Sagemont Baptist Church and continued giving back to the Lord.  Joy had a love of family and friends that extended to everyone connected to them.

Joy loved God and being involved with missions and had a passion for leading others to Christ.  She didn't often miss an opportunity to witness – even to the hospital staff during her last days.  She led Acteens at both Mason Drive and Sagemont and devoted her time to the Union Baptist Association and Woman's Missionary Union of Texas (UBA/WMU) for 12 years in the roles of Acteens Director, Treasurer and WMU Director. Both Joy and Sam served on the Board of Directors for the Missions Centers of Houston where she spent three years as Treasurer, and ten years as Chair of the Christian Women's Job Corp (CWJC) Advisory Board. Her involvement with CWJC was special to her and allowed her to meet and interview scholarship applicants who were preparing for the ministry or mission fields.  As a conference leader in UBA/WMU, Joy travelled throughout Texas, New Mexico (Glorietta), North Carolina (Ridgecrest) and many other states, and directed Acteens camps in Panama, the San Blas Islands and Hawaii. Her God-given gift of writing and speaking enabled her to pen heart-felt, encouraging articles for the Acteens' Accent magazine, and speak at recognition services, installations, and banquets in both national and Texas WMU organizations.  Joy loved her Sunday School class where she taught for many years, and attended faithfully while enjoying the uplifting, enduring friendships she had with "her ladies."

Joy is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Sam "Buddy" Pitts, her parents, and brother, Ray King. Surviving Joy are her daughter Brenda Wendorf and husband Jay, son Sam and wife Valerie, 5 grandchildren: Madison Pitts (Henry), Sam Elza Pitts (Brooke), Emmitt Pitts (Michelle), Jacob Wendorf and Nicole Wendorf Sanchez (Jeremiah), and one great-grandchild, Rylee Joy Pitts. Also surviving are her sisters Barbara Wiggins (Oscar), Carol Alexander and Doris McDonald, sister-in-law, Betty Patrick, numerous special nieces and nephews, and a host of faithful friends.

The service celebrating Joy's life will be held at Peevey Funeral Home, Sunday, August 24, at 2:00pm., with visitation one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joy's name to one of her beloved charitable  organizations: UBA Scholarship (email: wmu@ubahouston.org for donation form),

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (https://www.imb.org/about/lottie-moon/) or a charity of your choice.