John Mitchell Pitre III passed away February 4, 2013 in Rosamond, California at the age of 62.  He was born June 21, 1950 in Pomona, California.

John is survived by his mother, Florence Skouras; brother, Derek Pitre; sisters, Kim Pitre (SPHS '73) and Karen Kutzka; daughter, Melanie Solus; and sons, Jason and Justin Payne; and nieces and nephew, Carly, Keri, and Jack.  John was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Annette Pitre; and his father, John Mitchell Pitre, Jr.

John was a proud veteran of the United States Army 3rd Platoon 4th CST Brigade, and a faithful follower at Wayside Chapel.  He will be greatly missed by his many friends, and his co-workers at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, where John worked for more than 20 years.

Antelope Valley Press, February 10, 2013