Dr. Randall Neal Pittman
September 3, 1950 – May 27, 2023

Dr. Randy Pittman, age 72, of Philadelphia, PA, passed away May 27th, 2023, from
Alzheimer’s disease.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Libby Voss Pittman; his beloved parents, Martha Owens Pittman and Fred Beasley Pittman; and his brother Martin O. Pittman.

Dr. Pittman is survived by his children, Sarah Pittman-Patel, husband Neel; grandsons, Ethan and Wyatt of Chicago, IL, and Tom Pittman, wife, Stephanie O’Toole of Quakertown, PA; his brother, Robert Pittman of Sylva, NC; his sister, Bethanne Matari of Atlanta, GA; and his paternal uncle, Ray Pittman of San Antonio, TX; along with many cousins.

Dr. Pittman was a graduate of Saratoga Central High School and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar. He received his doctorate from the University of Colorado in the field of Neuroscience. He furthered his studies at Cal Tech in San Diego (UC San Diego School of Medicine) and Harvard University. For decades he headed an award-winning research laboratory at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania where he specialized in neuropharmacology and researched cures for Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and more. His professional accomplishments were many and served as a gateway for meeting people around the world, but his quick wit and sense of humor were probably the personal qualities that endeared him to anyone he met along the way.

Pittman was a native of Stantonsburg, NC, where he grew up on his grandfather’s
tobacco farm. His love of nature and of science was evident at a very young age. He was a great fan of science-fiction literature, especially Isaac Asimov, and the TV show Star Trek. In high school, he excelled at all sports and was much loved by his classmates.

In remembrance of Randy Pittman and Martha Pittman, please donate to the
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

A private memorial will be held later this year.