William Eugene Pettit

William "Gene" Pettit, 63, loving Spouse, Father, Son, Brother, Father-in-law, and Grandfather, was called to his eternal resting place on June 6, 2026. He entered this world on September 25, 1962 in Albuquerque, NM, born to William and Nancy Pettit, both who preceded him in death. He is survived by his spouse Cynthia Pettit; son Brandon Pettit and his wife Morgan Pettit; son Justin Pettit and his wife Christa Pettit; son Matthew Pettit; daughter Amanda Reid; brother Jeff Pettit and his wife Tamara Pettit; brother Joe Pettit; grandson Maxwell Pettit; granddaughter Rosie Pettit; granddaughter Juniper Pettit; and soon-to-be born granddaughter Helena Pettit.

Gene graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1980. He began his lifelong career of serving the community by becoming a Public Safety Aide in 1982. He became a sworn police officer in 1984, and rose to the rank of Sergeant. His positions included the Field Services Bureau, K-9 Unit, Burglary Unit, Gang Unit, as well as founding the APD Crisis Intervention Team. Overall, Gene served in a law enforcement capacity for over 27 years. He was greatly admired and respected by all of his fellow law enforcement colleagues, and he served as a mentor to many. Gene later went on to start Frontline Crisis Intervention, which provided training and consulting for numerous agencies. He also served as a Senior Fraud Investigator for First Community Bank and US Bank, and later became a managing partner for Robert Caswell Investigations. Gene would continue his work with law enforcement until 2023 as a member of Reality Based Training to provide realistic training scenarios to enhance the performance and effectiveness of police officers and cadets.

Outside of his professional accomplishments, Gene was deeply involved in the local community. He coached baseball at Petroglyph Little League for his three sons and many other young athletes for over 19 years. His hobbies included spending time with his family, camping, fishing, and baseball. He was always available and eager to help those around him, from working on house projects to caring for elderly relatives. Gene never turned down an opportunity to be the support that the community around him needed. Gene's family will always remember him as the best husband, dad, and "Po" (grandfather) in the world. His sense of humor never failed to bring a smile and a laugh to everyone in the room.

The family will hold a private celebration of life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to charitable organizations that focus on the research, treatment, and cure of melanoma, such as MD Anderson Cancer Center.