Clifton "Skip" Pruitt

Clifton "Skip" Pruitt, passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 in New Braunfels, Texas at the age of 79. Clifton was born on September 24, 1942 in Vicksburg, Mississippi to Woodrow and Alice Pruitt. In his early years Skip's family moved in the areas from Texas to Mississippi as his dad worked on an oil rig and the family moved with the rig. Eventually they settled in Midland where Skip attended school. He was in the MHS class of 1961 and was so proud of his class ring because any way you turned it, the numbers always said 1961. After high school Skip joined the Army and spent his entire enlistment in Europe, primarily in France. He and several of his buddies would use off time to travel around. He went to Paris and they drove around the British Isles. He had many memories of the places they had visited and loved showing us pictures of the places he had seen and telling us about them and the guys he traveled with. Upon returning to Midland after his service days, he met Susan Metscher and in August of 1966 they were married and there began a 55-year journey of a lifetime for them both. They had three children, Tiffany, Christina (Tina), and Michael, who all grew up in Midland. Skip was so proud of his children and the wonderful adults they became. Skip worked as a butcher for Safeway for several years but eventually went to work for the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. Even though he was encouraged to take the tests and apply to be a supervisor, he just loved being out on the street and dealing with his customers. The thought of being in an office all day was just not for him. He retired in 2001 and thought he would be content to spend his days gardening and relaxing. That lasted for a few months but then he returned to being a butcher at the grocery store of his old friends the Powell Brothers. In 2005 Skip and Susan moved to New Braunfels to be closer to their children and grandsons. Being in New Braunfels was good but then the travel bug bit. After one trip to Hawaii, he said he had found his true home. So began the first of several trips to the islands. He did his best to bring some of the tropical flowers and trees to the New Braunfels home (at one point he had a TI plant and several plumeria trees all in pots so he could bring them in out of the cold in winter). He even cultivated a pineapple plant by cutting off the top of a pineapple he had purchased and it even produced a small fruit. The last trip Skip and Susan took to the islands was just before Covid shut down the whole world but all he talked about was when he was going back. I think that was what helped him in his battle of the cancer that eventually took him from us. Our family thanks Dr. Trevino and all the wonderful, caring staff at Texas Oncology in New Braunfels for their loving care of our beloved husband, dad and granddad. He will be so missed. Clifton is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jerry Lyn Pruitt, and sister, Patricia Wright. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Susan Pruitt; children, Tiffany Pruitt, Christina Stautzenberger and husband Gerald, and Michael Pruitt and wife, Sydney; grandchildren, Maxwell Stautzenberger, William Stautzenberger and wife, Nina, Jaelyn Pruitt, and Huxley Pruitt; sister, Norma Jean Treadway, and brothers, Michael Pruitt and wife, Barbara and Danny Pruitt and wife, Georgia. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 10:00 AM. Services will conclude after the mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Clifton's name to the American Cancer Society.