Dr. Mildred Madeline Hellbusch Pittman, a member of St. Paul's Lutheran church, and a resident of Rambling Oaks in Highland Village died July 22, 2025, ten days short of her 100th birthday.

Mildred was born August 1, 1925 in Belgrade, Nebraska to Henry and Meta Hellbusch. She graduated from Valley High School in May of 1942. That fall she began the Cadet Nurse Program at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, CO. There she met Donel E. Pittman with the United States Army Air Corps, whom she would marry February 2, 1947 and remain married to until his death in 2004.

She completed her Bachelor's in Nursing in 1946 and began her career the same year. During the late 1940's and through the 1950's, she concentrated on part-time pediatric staff nursing while becoming the mother of five. She was licensed and practiced in the five states where the USAF stationed Donel during that time. She took on some instructional and supervisory positions in the late 60's.

She completed her Master in Education in 1971, from Central State University, Edmond, OK, while working fulltime and raising a family. At that time, she accepted the position of Assistant State Supervisor of Health Occupations for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

With a passion for the instructional side of Health Occupations, armed with an Ed D that she earned from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater in 1974, she held faculty positions, teaching health occupations students at the University of New Mexico, Texas Women's University and the University of Indiana, during the late 1970's through the late 1980's.

She settled in Denton, near family, upon completion of her professorship. She continued to share her passion and knowledge with staff and students at area hospitals and colleges during the first half of the 1990's.

A friend and mentor to many, Mildred was a gifted vegetable and flower gardener, enjoying canning and jelly making. She enjoying crossword puzzles, traveling, and writing, and was a devout Lutheran. Her biggest source of pride, joy, and happiness was always her family.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Meta, her brother, Leonard, her sister, Linda, her husband, Donel and her son Bruce. She is survived by four children: daughter, Iris Graves (Randy) of Colleyville, TX, daughter, Ellen Robberson (Rick) of Denton, TX son Alan Pittman (Mindy) of Hurst, TX and son Lynn Pittman (Pattie) of Angel Fire, NM. She is also survived by four grandsons, seven great grandsons, and a great grand-daughter.

A Memorial Service will be held at St Paul’s Lutheran Church,703 N Elm, Denton, TX at 11:00 am Friday, August 1st, which would have been her 100th birthday. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Denton State Supported Living Center, Denton, TX.