Jane Pitt dies at 84

Last edited 3:43 p.m., Aug. 6, 2025 [Editor's note: A statement from Mercy has been added.]

Jane Pitt, the namesake of the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital Springfield, has died.

Pitt, 84, died Aug. 5, according to her obituary provided by her family. With husband Bill, Pitt raised three children in Springfield: actor Brad Pitt, Springfield businessman Doug Pitt and Julie Neal. 

The Pitt family in 2009 donated $1 million to Mercy for the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. The cancer center opened in conjunction with Mercy's 2009 affiliation with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

Mercy spokesperson Ettie Berneking provided a statement on behalf of the health system.

“Jane Pitt’s impact on our community and the kids Mercy cares for will last forever," the statement reads. "Jane's compassion and love of children helped us open our Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center in 2009, and thanks to her generosity, we were able to bring the St. Jude Mercy Affiliate Clinic to our campus. Jane was truly a transformative person, and we are filled with endless gratitude to her and her family. She was one of those people you can’t help but want to emulate. She was generous, determined, joyful, loving and committed to using her life to serve others."

Pitt was involved with local children's causes, and she was a longtime volunteer at Pregnancy Care Center. Her early career focused on elementary school teaching, and she was among the original supporters of the Parents as Teachers program at Springfield Public Schools.

"Her legacy endures through the St. Jude Mercy Affiliate/Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center-Springfield, the evolving charitable work of her family members and the many parents and students whose lives she enriched," her obituary reads.

Her son Doug was honored last month by Springfield Business Journal with the Lifetime Achievement in Business award. In an interview with SBJ for the publication, he talked about his mother’s impact on his life. 

“I got really lucky. I got the Norman Rockwell deal with my parents. ... I had a great support system at home,” he said. “My mom was an artist. And I love the fact that my brother and sister and all three of us, I feel, are artistic.

“There’s no secret, that’s part of my success, the way I package and work in my brain.”

Jane Pitt, who attended Ridgecrest Baptist Church, is slated to be honored at a private celebration of life at a future date.