Joseph Vann Kitzman

Dr. Joseph (“Joe”) Vann Kitzman, 76, a longtime resident of Bandera County, passed away on April 18, 2025.

Joe was born in Brenham, Texas on November 26, 1948 to Arthur Adolph and Grace Vann Kitzman. But it didn’t take him long to get to Bandera where his grandparents, Joe and Leta Vann, owned and operated Joleta (Joe and Leta) Guest Ranch. Joe’s family eventually bought and operated Peaceful Valley Guest Ranch, where Joe wrangled horse rides for the ranch and then raised sheep and horses until his passing.

Joe’s love of music lead to his mastery of many instruments. He shared his love of music with his father and often joined him playing with Los Gringos, The Sheriff’s Posse, The Hill Toppers, and Adolf Hofner’s Pearl Wranglers at the Mayan. He and his father also shared their love of flying.

Joe graduated from Bandera High School, Salutatorian. After high school Joe received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M, served in the United States Air Force, received his Doctorate in Pharmacology from the University of Georgia, and was an Associate Dean in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State. His education and professions led to places such as New York and Hawaii and eventually back to the ranch he loved in Bandera.

After Joe moved back to the ranch, he worked for the Food Safety Inspection Service (“FSIS”). In his twenty plus years of working for the FSIS, he mentored many of the veterinarians working for FSIS, he taught the Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian mentoring course for the Center for Learning, he was an Inspector In Charge, he supervised and worked with many Food Inspectors and Consumer Safety Inspectors for New Hire Veterinarians.

Joe is survived by his wife, Janna Lindig a/k/a Janna Kitzman; his children, Shannon Kitzman; Tamara (Rajeev Raju); Stephanie (Audy Sain); Nathan Kitzman; and Victoria Kitzman; his grandchildren Svetlana, Audy, and Thea Sain; and Atreus Hayward; sister, Karen (David C. Primmer); niece, Christine Jackson and nephew, Chris Jackson.

Viewing will be at Grimes Funeral Chapel from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on April 29th, 2025. Funeral services will be held at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Burial will be on the ranch and is reserved for family members and pall bearers.

The family appreciates the many calls, emails, and texts from Joe’s friends and colleagues, all of which have given the family support and comfort. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Bandera County Livestock Show or to a charity of your choice.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Bandera Funeral Chapel.