Warren Canfield Pitts

Warren Canfield Pitts, aged 81, passed away after living with Alzheimer’s for almost a decade on September 29, 2025, in Mishawaka, Indiana, surrounded by family and his dog, Anna.

Warren was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 25, 1944, to Herman Canfield Pitts Jr. and Ann McParland Pitts. He grew up on Pleasant Street in Wickford, and Humboldt Avenue in Providence with younger siblings, Sarah (Andresen) and Terry. Warren’s childhood involved many adventures with his dog, Nicky, and his best friend from age seven, Carl Sawyer. Warren attended Moses Brown school, where he was president of the glee club, played football, and ran cross country, excelling in shotput. After leaving Moses Brown School, Warren attended Canterbury School, then studied forestry at University of Vermont and University of Rhode Island, eventually earning his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and his MBA from Babson College.

The Pitts Family had spent time in Rangeley, Maine, dating back to the early 1900’s and it remained a beloved hiking and fishing destination for the Pitts Family for generations. It was also important to the Davis Family, and it was in Rangeley at the Saddleback Lake Lodge that Warren met and fell in love with Andrea Ann Davis during the summer of 1965 when he was a cabin boy and she was a hotel maid. They dated while she attended Syracuse University, to which he would ride his BSA motorcycle from Rhode Island to visit her. They were married on September 14, 1968, delighting their wedding guests by driving into Mooselookmeguntic Lake in an amphibious car.

Warren and Andrea moved to Massachusetts where Warren worked at Shawmut Bank and managed a Christmas tree manufacturing plant called Mr. Christmas. Warren and Andrea started their family in Newton, Massachusetts. They welcomed their daughter, Allison, in 1976 and their son, Timothy, shortly after the blizzard of 1978. Warren was a patient and loving dad who loved making his children laugh.

Warren changed gears and began working in the restaurant industry in the early 1980’s, first at The Nicholas Restaurant and then at the Oxford Pub, beginning a long friendship with Bob Coveney. Working the late hours required of a restaurant manager had its challenges, but it made for a unique family life. Warren was home early in the day, available to volunteer for school activities like bicycle safety days and Fitness for Life. Warren’s 40th birthday was celebrated with a surprise party at 2:00am, complete with a Sweet Sis cheesecake and Michael Jackson serenade.

Warren had a lifelong passion for hiking and shared that with his brother, friends, children and grandchildren. He climbed most of the Appalachian Trail over time and took his children and grandchildren to climb Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire on numerous occasions. Another of Warren’s hobbies was woodworking. He crafted many beautiful things, from benches to entire sheds, the most famous of which were a Victorian dollhouse he built for Allison when she was a child and an exquisite club house for his grandchildren on Hammond Hill.

Possibly his most appreciated hobby was the delicious food he created. Warren picked up gourmet cooking as a hobby in the mid-80’s and became a fantastic cook, putting his perfectionism to excellent use as he experimented and created an extensive repertoire of specialties, from shrimp Provençal to sour cream chocolate loaf cake and his much beloved Christmas bread that he shared with friends and neighbors (not to mention outstanding homemade dog treats for Sadie and Anna).

Of course Warren was a huge fan of coffee frappes, which may have played a part in the decision to purchase a Brigham’s franchise in 1991. Warren and Andrea ran the restaurant and ice cream parlor with their children until 1998. They loved engaging with the community, and working with their children and many friends, and bringing happiness to all through ice cream. Warren was a kind and funny mentor for the many Newton North High School students who worked at the West Newton Brigham’s and was a favorite of all the elderly ladies and young children who came in for a treat.

Warren and Andrea sold the Brigham’s franchise and moved to Pinehurst North Carolina for several years, where Warren worked in real estate and in a local country club. But it wasn’t long before Warren’s parents needed care, so he and Andrea relocated to Providence and then Saunderstown, Rhode Island, where they remained from 2001 until 2021. Warren worked for Citizen’s Bank and Fidelity while taking care of his mother and making many improvements to the home, workshop, and gardens of the house on Hammond Hill. Warren and Andrea were phenomenal grandparents to their nine grandchildren born between 2004 and 2015, all of whom adored being on Hammond Hill with Grammy and Grampa every summer, feasting, lounging, going to the beach, learning to kayak and canoe, fishing, and hiking together.

Sadly, Warren was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018. Eventually, he and Andrea relocated to Bexley, Ohio, to live near their son and his family in Bexley. They loved their little home on a bustling corner in Bexley, but their time there was limited, as Andrea passed away from Glioblastoma in June of 2024. Warren had yet another adventure at that point, moving to Granger, Indiana, to live with Allison and Sharif and their children. He was a lovely and amusing addition to their very full home of children, dogs, cats, and even Sharif’s mom. They loved having Grampa live with them for about a year until he suffered the first of numerous strokes that ultimately caused him to contract pneumonia and pass away on September 29, 2025.

Warren is survived by children Allison (husband, Sharif Nijim) and Tim (wife, Ashley); grandchildren, Luca, Olivia, Henry, Madeline, Avonlea, Tucker, Phinneas, Enzo, and Briggs; sister, Sarah (and Spider) Andresen; brother, Terry Pitts; In-laws, Deb Davis, Cindy (and Gordon) Fowler, John Davis, and Harry Fagan. Warren was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Ann Pitts, and his wife, Andrea Pitts.

Warren accepted his fate of getting Alzheimer’s with the same gentleness and humility that he exhibited throughout his life. But we can choose to fight this disease by working to find a prevention or a cure. Tim and Ashley have started a foundation called Hops and Gather that raises money to benefit Alzheimer’s research as well as organizations that support Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. If you feel moved to contribute in Warren’s name, your donation will be much appreciated and put to good use: www.hopsandgather.org/donations.

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