Russell Dean Pettit

Russell Dean Pettit was born on February 17, 1941 on a farm near Burr Oak in Jewell County, Kansas, to Irvin and Ellis (Lentfer) Pettit.  Russ passed away in Lubbock, Texas, on February 15, 2019, at the age of 77.Russ attended the one-roomed Oak Creek School in Harrison Township, Jewell County, Kansas. He graduated from Burr Oak High School in 1959. Russ attended Fort Hays State University and Texas Tech University, ultimately earning his PhD in range management science at Oregon State University. Following graduation Russ taught for a short time in Kingsville, Texas before joining the range and wildlife management faculty at Texas Tech University in the Fall of 1969 where he specialized in arid grasslands and coached Texas
Tech University's range plant identification team at annual meetings of the International Society for Range Management. He retired in 1989 as an Associate Professor of Range Management, Emeritus. Russ was united in marriage to Mary Gutierrez on November 7, 1969. They were blessed with one son, Scott. He is survived by his son Scott, wife Debbie, and grandson Dane Pettit of Austin, Texas; Scott’s mother Mary Pettit, of Garland Texas; sister Dixie and husband Ron West of Manhattan, Kansas; brothers-in-law, Bill Brown of Montgomery, Minnesota, Ray Schutte of Hastings, Nebraska, Jorge Gutierrez (Deanna) of Austin, Texas; and sisters-in-law, Judy Pettit of Superior, Nebraska, Virginia Pettit of Kansas City, Missouri; Marilyn Pettit of Torrington, Wyoming; Perla Galvan of Harlingen, Texas, Yolanda Cervantes of Arlington, Texas, Cristina Hernandez (Alvaro) of Lewisville, Texas, Lourdes Gutierrez of Garland, Texas, Ester Gutierrez of Las Vegas, Nevada and their families. Russell was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Faye Brown and Phyllis Schutte, and his brothers Paul, Alan, and David.A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, April 27 at 10:00 A.M., at Agape Funeral Chapel, 6625 W. 19th St. Ste. 103, Lubbock, Texas 79407 with Yolanda Cervantes officiating.  Final interment will be at the Schaffer Cemetery, rural Mankato, Kansas.

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