Alyne Pitman dies at 88

Alyne Pitman, a fixture in the Jackson County courthouse for almost three decades as supervisor of elections, died Monday at the age of 88.

She was first elected supervisor in 1960, after defeating Lee Mitchell Williams, another woman, who had been in office for 10 years. The sister of the late great Dr. McQuagge of Marianna, Alyne turned out to be quite adept at politics, staying in office until 1987, a span of 27 years. She retired early after the election of 1988 and was succeeded by her niece, Eugenia Mcquagge.

“I always found her to be a gracious lady,” County Judge Woodrow Hatcher said Wednesday afternoon. “And the integrity of the elections she supervised was never in question.” Hatcher was first elected in 1976.

Alyne was very active in the Democrat Party organization in Jackson County. Eugenia served well in her two years as Elections Supervisor, but was defeated in her attempt at reelection in 1988 by the current Supervisor of Elections, Sylvia Stephens. Alyne’s son, Bob Pitman of Marianna remains a poll worker during elections, Stephens said Wednesday.