Patrick Hugo Pitre

Patrick Hugo Pitre, of Amarillo, passed away on December 10, 2022.

He was born on June 2, 1974, to Guy Pitre and Louise Arsenault in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, and raised in the charming village of Saint-Alexis-de Matapedia, Quebec, Canada.

Growing up, he loved playing hockey and discovered a lifelong love of music, playing the organ in church and forming a band with high school friends.  After graduating Valedictorian in high school, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserves, serving four years while attending college, and earned a degree in physical therapy from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

After graduation in 1996, he accepted a position as a physical therapist at a physical therapy clinic in Amarillo, prompting a brave move to another country, far from his loved ones.  Here, he met his future wife and colleague, Aletta Davis.  He had planned to live in Amarillo for only a “year or two”, but a year and a half into his life here, they began dating and he decided to establish roots in the Texas Panhandle.  Patrick and Aletta married on August 18, 2001, and years later welcomed their daughter, Emma.

His compassion and detailed oriented personality created a constant drive to improve his clinical skills, leading him to specialized post-graduate studies and certifications that further honed his expertise.  He quickly earned high respect from his physical therapy colleagues, physicians, and medical professionals in the region.  Together, he and Aletta took a professional leap and opened Optimal Physical Therapy in January 2011, where he continued to impact and improve the lives of countless members of our community.

During his first decade in Amarillo, he continued his passion for hockey by being involved with the local hockey associations, playing both ice and roller hockey (which included traveling to play in out-of-town games), refereeing for youth games, and serving as an Off Ice Official for the then Amarillo Rattlers.

He felt a long-standing enjoyment of table tennis, and at his wife’s urging, in 2018 he participated in a table tennis tournament with the local league, Shakehands.  Little did she know where this would lead.  As he did in every area throughout his life, he quickly made friends in the league and enjoyed his experience so much he felt determined to find a way to play the sport more and help grow the table tennis community in the Amarillo area.  In 2020, he and Aletta opened TopSpin Table Tennis Club, where his friendships with fellow players only deepened as they enjoyed a competitive camaraderie, often traveling together to participate in sanctioned tournaments by the US Table Tennis Association.

Despite the time he devoted to his professional and athletic interests, he made sure to carve out time with family and friends.  His daughter was his priority, and for many years they had a standing Daddy-daughter date every Sunday, sometimes even turning these into weekend trips.  He was adamant that nothing would get in the way of their time together.

Throughout his life, he made many lifelong friends who continue to share cherished memories of good times together, with Patrick’s zest for life, sense of humor, and kindness forming the hallmark of those memories.

He is preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents; his father Guy Pitre; and his father-in-law William Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Aletta; daughter, Emma; mother, Louise; brother Benoit and wife Marie; two nieces, Juliette and Beatrice; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and close friends who became family.