September 15th, 2017, Harold "John" Witt, born in Alameda Co., CA passed away at Kindred Hospice in San Antonio, Texas.
Left to cherish his memory, is his adored wife of 59 years, Jeanette "Jan" Badger Witt, his Son John J. (Cindy) Witt, 5 Grandchildren Heather (JJ) Perez, Ian (Valeria) Guerra, Kimberly Witt-Dozier, Brittany (Arthur) Witt-Cortez, John Ian (Brittney) Witt, 9 Great Grandchildren, Sister-in-law Jeanne (Leonard) Pimblett, their children Trudy, David, Matthew, 2 grandnephews, 1 grandniece and 1 great grandnephew.
Preceding him in death are his beloved brother’s Leonard (Jeanne) Pimblett and Donald Pimblett.
“John’s” young life as a teenager would often be spent working as a local farmhand until 1949 when he joined the United States Air Force (U.S.A.F.) & served in French Morocco, Germany, Korea, Japan & eventually be-came a Vietnam Veteran . He worked as a sentry dog instructor during the 1950’s/60’s pioneering the early de-velopment Sentry Dog School for Military Working Dogs at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. Af-ter retiring from the U.S.A.F. in 1969, he looked forward to joining the U.S. Customs. In 1970, he was chosen to “Kick-off” President Richard M. Nixon's new “Narcotic Dog Program”, Harold “John” Witt & his, now famous, dogs “Rico“ and “Kishi” were called before President Nixon to perform 2 separate demonstrations (Washington D.C. & Sacramento, CA) of the narcotic dog’s ability to detect drugs in various environm-ents. They made history in a new front against drugs. “John” is pictured in the 1971 Year World Book Encyclopedia under “Drugs” on page 298. After leaving the program in 1974, he was promoted in the U.S. Customs Depart-ment where he worked as a Customs Patrol Officer on the Mexico/U.S. border in Laredo, Texas. From there he was promoted to an administrative position in Del Rio Texas in 1985 where he would later retire to live in Del Rio then San Angelo, Texas.
He was a 50 year member of the Freemasons where he attained the level of worshipful master & received the golden trowel, a member of the Gideon's International and member of the V.F.W. and American Legion, as well as a member of the Military Order of the Cootie, cheering up veterans in V.A. hospitals. He was very ac-tive in his local church congregations in Del Rio & San Angelo, TX. Additionally he was a Boy Scouts of America scout master where he mentored in both San Lorenzo, CA and Laredo, TX.
“John” leaves us to surely find a welcoming home as a good and faithful servant to Our Almighty God & Crea-tor. It will be a place of pure love. If there is bowling it will be even better.
Funeral to be held 7pm, Friday Sept 22 at the Witt Family home in Laredo, TX.

Cremation Services have been entrusted to Gutierrez Funeral Chapels/North in San Angelo, TX.

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