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Obituary for Rebecca Pittman
Rebecca Schneider Pittman, 64, of Jackson, died July 22 at her home, surrounded by close friends. Rebecca was an investigator at the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, a small business owner, and a campaign manager/advisor for many political candidates through the years. Rebecca was a graduate of Murrah High School, Louisiana State University, and Georgetown University, where she earned a master of fine arts degree in English literature.
Rebecca started her career as an art director at local television station WLBT, where she began a lifelong interest in politics and writing. She served as press secretary to U.S. Representative Jon Hinson, followed by several years of writing and reporting for Harper’s and Washingtonian magazines. In 1988 Rebecca returned to her native Jackson with her then husband Dean Pittman, Tylertown native and current U.S. ambassador to Mozambique. At their home in the Fondren neighborhood, Rebecca loved entertaining, often creating lavish and large backyard dinner parties. She was an aesthete, constantly arranging and rearranging her carefully chosen furniture, art, and flowers. Her many pets were an important part of that ambiance over the years. Rebecca was among those who founded a neighborhood organization in Fondren that became a model for other associations across the city and sparked the revitalization of Fondren.
Her law enforcement career began when, on arriving home and leaving her car one evening, she was confronted by an armed man demanding her purse. When the crime went unsolved, she began chasing down the suspect until she “got her man.” She met with Sheriff McMillan and presented the evidence that identified the armed robber and his residence. Sheriff McMillan was so impressed with her expertise and determination that he offered her a position, which she accepted on the spot. It was a job that she embraced for the rest of her life. Rebecca graduated from the Reserve Deputies program and was a graduate of the first class of the Certified Investigators Program of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
Rebecca’s detective work encompassed many unsolved murder cases, even pursuing serial killers. Her investigative skills resulted in many convictions in both state and federal courts. Rebecca’s focus in all of her cases remained on obtaining justice for the victims, and she was particularly adept at working with them to recover emotionally. Rebecca was fearless in pursuit of justice and often placed herself in personal danger to pursue leads. She was unafraid to go into high crime areas by herself. She won many awards for her work, including being named the 2006 Top Cop for the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and awarded the 2009 U.S. Attorney’s Award for Distinguished Service to Law Enforcement.
For her job she stayed in tip-top physical shape, and a big part of her day was her daily gym routine. A strikingly attractive woman, she could, if necessary, go undercover to debutante balls by donning a ball gown to make sure that young underage socialites did not partake too much “of the bubbly.” She was not afraid to escort those who did from the elegant premises, even at the risk of incurring the wrath of their parents, many of whom she knew.
Rebecca was preceded in death by her mother and father, Jo and Merlin Schneider of Jackson. She is survived by a sister, Bee Somers (John Somers) and a beloved niece and nephew, Hayley Somers and Nathan Somers.
At her request, there was no formal service, but a celebration of her remarkable life and her courageous final fight was attended by her many law enforcement friends, longtime personal friends, and some of the family members of the many cold cases that she helped to solve. Sheriff Victor Mason has established in her honor the Rebecca Pittman Outstanding Service Award, which will be presented each year to a member of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Unit.
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