Paul Hollis Witt

Paul Hollis Witt was born on November 9, 1938 and died peacefully on Sunday, Nov 5, 2023, after a lengthy illness. He was 84 years old and from Gainesville, Texas.  He is survived by his beloved  wife of 63 years, Shirley Graves Witt.  He was preceded in death by his father, Billy Witt, and his mother, Kate Witt; his brother, Jerry Witt, and his sisters; Marion Jo Smith and Joyce Wharton.  He is survived by his sister, Billie Marie Banks, from Gainesville, Texas.

He is also survived by:   his son, Lanny Witt, and his wife, Carol, from Tyler Texas; his daughter Denell Dennis, and her husband, Kevin, from Garland, Texas; his daughter, Jana Spencer, and her husband, Kelly, from Gilmer, Texas.

Mr. Witt had five grandchildren; Haley Kirschner and her husband, Brenton, from Rogers, Arkansas; Robert Dennis and his wife, Logan, from Wylie Texas; Heather Wade and her husband, Devon, from Birmingham, Alabama; Jenny Guerra and her husband, Gabe, from Austin, Texas; and Alli Pearson and her husband, Mark, from Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The great grandchildren are Henderson, Miller, and Afton from Garland, Texas; Ezra from Rogers, Arkansas; Will from Austin, Texas. 

Mr. Witt preached for a total of 67 years at numerous Churches of Christ in Texas including: Willis(2yrs) , Red Oak (4yrs), Cedar Hill (1yr), Hallsville (9yrs), Graceton (21yrs), Lexington (3yrs), and Overton (19yrs).  He also preached while in college at Abilene Christian during his years as a student there.  He was always known for his beautiful voice and kind spirit. He sang at many weddings and funerals, conducted dozens of weddings and funerals as a preacher in the Church of Christ, and was known for his love of children and the Vacation Bible School he put on each year.  As a minister, he served in the Nursing Home Ministry, Prison Ministry, and supported countless faith based non-profits. He loved the Word of God and loved the people of his congregation.    

Paul was also a high school science teacher.  Beginning in 1959, he taught full time until 1993.  His teaching career included schools in  the Houston area, Ferris, Desoto, Hallsville, and New Diana.  After teaching for 34 years full time, he taught part time for several other schools after retirement.  He was always known for his “Paulisms”  (the more you do the more you get, the longer you sit, the dumber you get) and his practical approach to teaching.  He insisted on doing multiple labs each year because he wanted students to love Chemistry rather than just learning it.  He took pride in students coming back from college and telling him how similar his class was to their college classes.   

He was an avid Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys fan and loved to attend ball games of the school’s he served as a teacher.  He was always outdoors and around livestock, and had horses, cattle, and  exotic chickens for most of his adult life. He touched the lives of thousands of students and church members for almost 70 years.  He will be missed by family members, church members, and former students all around the world.

Funeral services for Mr. Witt will be held at 4:00 pm on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at Graceton Church of Christ, 384 Lazy Daisy Lane, Gilmer, Texas 75645, where a visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  On Friday, November 10 at 2:00 pm, Paul will be laid to rest in the Witt Family Cemetery in Gainesville, Texas.

***In Lieu of Flowers donations may be made to the Overton Church of Christ by check , they may be mailed to: Overton Church of Christ 112 E. South St. Overton Texas 75684.

*** Please list in the memo section (In Honor of Paul Witt).