BATON ROUGE — Services for Thomas L. Pitchford, 84, of Baton Rouge, who died Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at Baton Rouge General Medical Center – Mid City Campus, will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. until the recitation of the Rosary at 9:15 a.m. today.

A native of Natchez, Pitchford has been a resident of Baton Rouge since his days at LSU in 1955.

He is a Navy veteran and a former Guaranty Corporation mortgage loan officer. Pitchford has been the proprietor of The French Connection Bar since 1977. Several years ago, Pitchford made a gift of himself by donating his body to medical research.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Joseph and Inez Hunter Pitchford; his beloved wife, Joan Pressgrove Pitchford; brothers, Fred Pitchford, Col. Charles F. Pitchford, Col. John J. “Jack” Pitchford, Frank M. Pitchford; sisters, Peggy Pitchford and Inez Pitchford Marlow; sister-in-law, Sherry Pitchford; and brothers-in-law, Gene Loomis and Kirk Bartley; and infant great-granddaughter, Georgia Brook Byrd.

Survivors include his daughter, Jody Pitchford McCall and husband, Chuck McCall; son, David Pitchford and wife, Vicki West Pitchford; eight-grandchildren, Jason Moore and wife, Lauren, Danny Moore and fiancé, March Starling, Jordy Byrd, Brooke and Chase McCall, John David Pitchford and wife, Callie, Ryan Pitchford and fiancé, Rachel Serio, and Erin Pitchford; four great-grandchildren, Nolan and Alice Moore, Aria Moore and Landry Rae Pitchford, due May 2, 2015; his brothers, Richard Pitchford, Gerald Pitchford and wife, Yara, and Jim Pitchford and wife Leigh; sisters, Mary Catherine “Sister” Pitchford Loomis and Judy Pitchford Bartley; sister-in-law, Patty Pitchford; brother-in-law, Orvis Marlow; and a number of nieces, nephews and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Society of St. Vincent DePaul Baton Rouge, P.O. Box 127, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0127 or svdpbr.org.