Ron Pitkin, founder of Cumberland House, died on April 6 at age 79.
Pitkin co-founded Rutledge Hill Press, the Nashville, Tenn., publisher whose bestselling books included Life's Little Instruction Book and Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook. He then went on to found Cumberland House, also in Nashville, known for its history, cooking, fiction, and inspirational titles, including the James Beard Award-winning Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, and Scuppernong Wine by Joseph E. Dabney and Gregory E. Lang's series led by Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, a project Pitkin envisioned and championed.
Todd Stocke, senior v-p and editorial director at Sourcebooks, which acquired Cumberland House in 2008, said "Ron was sort of a quiet legend with a very big heart in the publishing business. Simultaneously creative and deeply soulful, Ron could position books like few others. He truly had the every-person's touch. We are proud to carry on his legacy, and we share our best wishes with his family and all those who loved him."
Chris Bauerle, who worked at both Cumberland House and Sourcebooks and is now v-p of North American sales and operations at Insight Editions, said, "Ron Pitkin was a creative genius, and one of the most caring men in our industry. Though reserved and out of the spotlight, he was a man who faithfully poured through piles of unagented submissions for his entire publishing career in order to bring to life those stories that deserved the love and attention of a master of positioning and editorial craftsmanship."
In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to a library or literacy charity of your choice.