“Marvelous” Marvin Wilkes Pitts, of Nashville, Tenn., passed away peacefully on August 24, 2025. He was born the fifth of six children to Elizabeth and Carroll Pitts Sr. in Rock Hill, South Carolina on January 17th 1947. Marvin came into the world talking and never stopped.
He attended his beloved Winthrop Training School in Rock Hill for primary and secondary school, where he established many lifelong friends who meant the world to him, and did his best to keep everyone laughing.
From 1965 to 1970 he attended college as a history major and cadet at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Marv attended at the same time as famed author Pat Conroy and his name is listed in Conroy’s first book The Boo. We are pretty sure Conroy’s books are the only ones he ever finished.
After college, and for the next thirty years, Marv worked as a salesman at Component Sales Inc. where he was able to do the two things he enjoyed most, traveling (i.e. driving like a maniac) and talking to people. He was happiest when his work took him to south Florida where he could go deep sea fishing with family.
Marv eventually settled his family in suburban Atlanta, in Conyers Georgia where he raised his two daughters Rebecca and Margaret and their dog Dylan. He was deeply involved with his church Crossroads United Methodist where he met many more lifelong friends and served the best brunswick stew this side of heaven.
After his daughters left the nest, Marv’s favorite city of Charleston called him back. He lived near his brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews, and enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle at Folly Beach.
Once his grandchildren Waylon (18), Harper (15), and Olive (15) were born, Marv moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be an integral part of their lives as their beloved Grandpa. Living in Tennessee did not stop him from rooting for his favorite teams: the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Duke Blue Devils. Though he spent his last years in Tennessee, South Carolina was and always will be his home.
Despite his conservative exterior, Marv loved folk music, spending countless hours listening to Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, and John Prine. He was passionate about all things politics, sports (tennis!), animals, and astronomy. You would often find him with a copy of The National Geographic close-by because he cared so deeply for endangered species.
Marvin is proceeded in death by his brother Carroll Pitts Jr. and his parents. He is survived by four of his five siblings, Elizabeth Allen, Laurens Pitts, Churchill Pitts and Lillian Grimes, his two daughters, Rebecca Bornac (husband Brad Bornac) and Margaret Pitts (husband BJ Bush), and his three grandkids.
A celebration of Marvin’s life will take place in Charleston South Carolina at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor his memory may donate to World Wildlife Fund or The Dementia Society of America. You can also raise a glass of Diet Mountain Dew when you think of him. Or curl up with a Pat Conroy book. He would love that.
“My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of an indrawn tide.”― Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides
“When I get to Heaven, I’m gonna shake God’s hand, thank Him for more blessings than one man can stand.”—John Prine