Obituary: Robert Halsey Pettit, of Southold, Dies at 87

Info via DeFriest Grattan Funeral Home

Died: September 18, 2015

Services: Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 23 at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church with Reverend John E. Walker officiating. Interment will follow at Presbyterian Cemetery in Southold.

Obituary: Robert Halsey Pettit, of Southold, died at home on Friday, Sept. 18. He was 87 years old.

Pettit was born in Brooklyn on May 20, 1928 to Jessie (nee Young) and Dwight M. Pettit.

He was a graduate of Mercersburg Academy and Lehigh University, he served in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1953 in Key West, Florida.

Pettit then enjoyed a career of thirty years as a mechanical engineer with Sperry Rand (now Unisys). Among his many accomplishments were several patents.

The Pettit’s lived in Mississippi from 1971 to 1974 and had been residents of Huntington from 1955 to 1988 at which time they moved to Southold.

In the community, he was active in the Southold Historical Society and was “Man of the Year” in 2013 and was a volunteer general contractor for the restoration of Brecknock Hall in Greenport.

He had also been a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Greenport where he served as a Warden and member of the Vestry.

He is survived is his wife Anne “Nancy” Pettit (nee Putnam) who he married on August 19, 1950 in Chatham, New Jersey; four children: Robert H. Pettit, Jr. (Patricia), Cynthia P. Van Voris (Richard), James C. Pettit (Margaret) and David H. Pettit (Andrea); 11 grandchildren: Nicholas and Edward Schoch, Daniel, Alexander and Amelia Pettit; Steven, Gregory and Michael Pettit and Anne, Connor and Trevor Pettit and a nephew; Dwight M. Pettit, III (Jeanne).

In lieu of flowers, donations to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York 11978 would be appreciated.