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FRANK C. PITKIN PASSES AWAY AT FONTHILL HOME
Former City Editor of Welland Tribune and Telegraph Succumbs to Long Illness
Maintained Cheerful Outlook on Life Notwithstanding Broken Health
Frank C. Pitkin, well-known newspaperman and one time city editor of the Welland Tribune and Telegraph, which preceded the Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune, died at his home near Fonthill late yesterday afternoon, losing a heroic fight for his health that had continued for some years.
Mr. Pitkin had been fast failing for some months and recently had been unable to even walk around his home. Thursday he was seized with a turn for the worse and grew steadily weaker until Monday when he lapsed into unconsciousness. Although a nurse and a doctor were at his bedside, it was realized that the end was near and that he was beyond all human aid. He passed quietly away Wednesday afternoon without regaining consciousness.
Born in Rochester, N.Y., November 4th, 1875, the son of James Morgan Pitkin and Elizabeth Brown Pitkin, the late Mr. Pitkin received his education in the public and high schools of that city. He was related to Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, founder of the American city bearing that name. At the conclusion of his school days he became identified with the nursery business continuing such in the United States until some 27 years ago when he came to Canada and settled in Fonthill. In 1904 he was married to Kate Emmett of Fonthill who survives him, as do three sons, Emmett Morgan, David Oakley and William Brown. Two brothers, William Pitkin and James Pitkin, and one sister, Mrs. Richard G. Salter, all of Rochester, also survive.
Frank C. Pitkin was an accountant by profession and in that capacity came to Canada from Rochester to join the firm of Brown Bros. Co. Nurserymen, Ltd. of Pelham. He was with that company for many years until failing health forced him to relinquish his duties.
Commences as Writer
How Mr. Pitkin came to be a writer is a story in itself. It was war time. Prices of farm produce were sky high. An alderman made a most temperate speech at a meeting of the Welland city council in which he capped his abuse of the farmers by saying that many of them should be in jail. Two days later Mr. Pitkin submitted a letter of reply to the Welland Telegraph. It was an artistic piece of work and the next day was copied by the Hamilton Spectator with considerable comment.
And so Frank Pitkin had launched on a writer’s career, a sphere in which he was to make a most considerable name among the newspapermen of the Niagara peninsula. Two weeks later he joined the staff of the Telegraph. That was something over a dozen years ago, and he contributed a Fonthill page which he ran for three months and then accepted a position on the staff.
As a staff member he inaugurated two departments which had a great vogue. One of these was a column of miscellany and which he called “Shoes and Ships,” a borrowed title from his friend, O. Henry. In the opinion of many, a better column never appeared in a Canadian paper and this at least is certain, that every issue was discussed and enjoyed throughout Welland county and beyond.
The other department was his “Glimpses of Back Files” in which he briefly referred to happenings of 10 and 20 years ago. His keen scanning of the old files not only brought back interesting memories to the readers of this paper but he illuminated the events with comments that were at times excruciatingly funny.
Mr. Pitkin contributed many articles in this newspaper under the pen name of Oliver Underwood and these proved a source of much delight to many readers.
Frank Pitkin possessed a personality that never made an enemy and everyone admired the product of his pen. It was a daily occurrence for persons named in his news to telephone or call personally to express their thanks. The presence of a distinguished speaker in Welland was synonymous with the act that Mr. Pitkin should be assigned to “cover” the address, and it seldom transpired that a letter was not received in which thanks and appreciation were expressed for Mr. Pitkin’s report, for he seemed to know to a supreme degree just what would make a sympathetic and understanding presentation of the thing said.
Mr. Pitkin was widely read and well informed. He kept in close touch with all topics of the day and there were few events happening in his day upon which he could not be safely queried.
His Gentle Humor
But his supreme quality was the gentle humor that illuminated even the dark days when the hand was to frail to hold the pen. He fronted everyday with a smile and met the adversary of ill health with good cheer.
Possessed always of a kind disposition, Mr. Pitkin could be relied upon to ever extend the helping hand. Particularly did he do everything possible to create in younger newspapermen under him the important factor of sound journalism, and the knowledge that Frank Pitkin has passed on brings to at least one present member of the Tribune staff the realization that a true and loyal friend has gone forever and one whose like will not be seen again.
It is not at all surprising that he gained so many friends. Their number was legion. While all that knew him loved him, those who knew him only by his writing felt instinctively drawn towards him.
Mr. Pitkin knew Welland county as perhaps no other newspaperman. For years he was regularly assigned to cover the proceedings of the Welland county council and it was said that he knew every member of that body personally and as a friend. His reports were always accurate and complete.
In Game to The Last
True, in his faith with the newspaper to the end, Mr. Pitkin a few days before his death wrote what was to be his last contribution of back file glimpses. The undertaking almost proved too much for him, but he continued until at the point of exhaustion he was compelled to end his task. The contribution which appears in this issue of The Tribune was the last journalistic effort of Mr. Pitkin.
Funeral services will be held from the late residence at 3.30 p.m. Saturday afternoon with interment taking place at Fonthill cemetery. Ven. Archdeacon N.I. Perry of Holy Trinity church will officiate.
The Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune
31 October 1929
Died: 30 October 1929
Married: 8 September 1904
Fonthill Cemetery
4 November 1875-30 October 1929
Uremia
Father: James Morgan Pitkin
Mother: Elizabeth H. Brown
