Barbara Gay Pitts

Barbara Gay Pitts, of East End, Arkansas, passed away on September 12, 2026, at the age of 72. She was born in Little Rock on December 24, 1953, to the late Demetris and Opal Cook.

Barbara grew up in Little Rock and was a 1972 graduate of McClellan High School where she was Secretary and Vice President of FBLA, served on the Student Council, and was a member of Y-Teens and Crimsonettes.

On October 1, 1992, she married Ron Pitts in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and for the next 33 years they traveled life’s pathway together. During their first stay in Eureka Springs to take their marriage vows, they took the dinner excursion on the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. There was a videographer on the train shooting a promotional video for the Railway. He asked Barbara and Ron to sign a release so he could include shots of them in the video. Several months after returning to Little Rock they found a package on their front door. Inside was a VHS tape the videographer had shot and produced and included several shots of Barbara and Ron. For many years following their marriage, Barbara and Ron would celebrate their anniversary in Eureka Springs. During these trips they would see the VHS for sale in various shops.

Barbara and Ron also enjoyed vacationing in Destin, Florida. In 2005 they made their reservations, but when it came time to leave reports of Hurricane Katrina approaching the Gulf Coast were starting to come in. Only the easternmost part of the storm was supposed to hit Destin, so they took off, listening to the Weather Channel the whole way. Destin received minimal damage, but the waves had washed the sand up to Hwy 98 and it rained most of the week, but they made the best of it. They were unable to take their usual route back, so they drove north through Alabama, west through Mississippi to Memphis, and from Memphis to Little Rock. While driving through Mississippi they had to drive through Tupelo, so they stopped and visited the birthplace of Elvis.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents Demetris and Opal Cook, and her sister and brother-in-law Cheryl and Mike Lakin.

She is survived by her husband Ron Pitts, brother and sister-in-law Jerry and Diana Cook, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be on September 22, 2026, at 12:00pm followed by a Memorial Service at 1:00pm at Smith Family Funeral Home North Little Rock. A private family burial will follow the Memorial Service.

Arrangements by Smith Family Funeral Homes North Little Rock, 1921 Main St., North Little Rock, AR 72114. (501) 758-1170.