George Pitts, R.I.P.

Very sad news: Legendary photo director George Pitts passed away early Saturday morning, March 4, after a prolonged illness. George was a photo editor, writer, poet, painter, photographer, teacher, and much more. As longtime photo director of Vibe, and later the revived Life magazine, George was an inspiration and mentor to countless photographers, photo editors, art directors and editors. His passing is a huge loss to our community.

George is survived by his wife, Jan Pitts. No information is available yet on a memorial service, but we'll have an update for SPD members soon.

For more on George's legacy at Vibe magazine, see this remembrance and collection of Vibe covers.

Time.com has a collection of remembrances of George by editors, art directors, and photographers:

In Memoriam: The Photography Community Remembers George Pitts

Photograph by Clayton Cubitt