Clarence Edward “Whit” Whitley, age 94, passed away of a broken heart on Saturday, March 20, 2021. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph Benjamin and Mary Waff Whitley; his brothers, Joseph Benbury Whitley, Stanley Waff Whitley, Horace Benjamin Whitley and William LeGrand Whitley; and his sister, Mary Elizabeth Whitley Snead. His devoted wife of 68 years, Mary Birchett Whitley, predeceased him by just 11 weeks. Survivors include his son, Joseph Birchett Whitley; daughters, Carole Whitley Wagner (Don), and Terry Whitley Curro (Dave); grandchildren, Claire Whitley Rotruck (Adam), Kristi Wagner Brackett (Jacob), Sara Haskins Whitley, Ryan August “Augie” Wagner, Paula Kathryn Wagner and Bret Anthony Curro; great-grandchildren, Brooks and Bennett Rotruck and Graciela “Chela” Brackett; and his beloved dog, Dakota.
Born July 6, 1926, at the family home in Hertford County, North Carolina, Clarence grew up on a farm outside Murfreesboro, where his father raised cotton and peanuts. After learning of the death of a young man from his hometown during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he vowed to join the U.S. Navy when he became of age and did so in April 1944. He served on a ship repair base in the Philippines for the remainder of World War II and then in the Panama Canal Zone for 2 years following the war. He was a proud Plank Owner of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. Not long after his discharge in October 1947, he moved to Richmond, where he later met the lovely Mary Williams Birchett and swept her off her feet—they were engaged after their 4 th date and married seven months later. Together, they traveled extensively, including trips with the Navy Memorial Foundation to Pearl Harbor (twice), Australia and Guadalcanal, Japan and Korea for 50 th anniversary commemorations marking significant events of WWII.
Clarence grew up in a poor family in the rural South during the Great Depression, but as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he considered himself a very wealthy man. Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Whit became a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church upon his marriage to Mary in 1952, and he served there as choir member, Deacon, Elder, Sunday School Superintendent, Wednesday Night Supper “emcee,” and general “fix-it” man. Whit’s lifetime community involvement and accomplishments were extensive: President and Life Member of Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop #713, President of Richmond Host Lion’s Club, Commander of American Legion Post 84, Past Master of Tuckahoe Lodge No. 347, A.F. & A.M., Past District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District 15-C; Past Venerable Master and Life Member of Richmond Scottish Rite Bodies, 33° Inspector General Honorary, Board member of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, a member of ACCA Temple Shrine and Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #41, International Order of Job’s Daughters. He retired from his position as Vice President/Sales Manager of Lawrence Sanitary Company in 1991, after 27 years of employment there.
Many will remember Whit as “BoBo the Clown” from the Miller & Rhoads Santa Claus Train and Tobacco Festival Parades during the 1960s and early 1970s. Bringing smiles to children’s faces was both his mission and his delight.
In recent years, numerous people have shared with his children their stories of gratitude for the profound influence Whit had on their lives and the many ways he served others, often without his family even knowing it. He was a champion of the underdog and did what he could to make his world a better place. He loved to roast peanuts and make peach ice cream from Mary’s homemade custard. He loved sunsets and sailboats and took countless photos of both. He loved feeding and watching the birds but hated the pesky squirrels who raided his feeders. He loved a good joke and was a prolific storyteller. Carpentry was a favorite pastime of Whit’s, and he was a skilled craftsman; his children’s homes are full of things lovingly made by his hands. Above all, Whit loved his wife and their family and told them so often. He was a hard-worker and an excellent provider and protector. He is missed more than words can say, but his family is comforted by the knowledge that his broken heart is now healed and he is reunited with the woman who was his anchor in life.
The family is so grateful to the staff of Sunrise of Richmond for the care they provided to both Whit and Mary over the last three years and to Hospice Community Care/Traditions Health for easing their journey.
A service will be held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1627 Monument Ave., Richmond, Virginia on Friday, March 26, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Westhampton Memorial Park, 10000 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Virginia with Masonic Rites and military honors. Grace Covenant’s protocols will be in place, including wearing masks and social distancing. Registration for attending the in-person service is encouraged. The service will also be livestreamed. To register for the in-person service or to view the livestream, please visit www.grace-covenant.org/cwhitley. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, U.S. Navy Memorial or Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Born July 6, 1926, at the family home in Hertford County, North Carolina, Clarence grew up on a farm outside Murfreesboro, where his father raised cotton and peanuts. After learning of the death of a young man from his hometown during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he vowed to join the U.S. Navy when he became of age and did so in April 1944. He served on a ship repair base in the Philippines for the remainder of World War II and then in the Panama Canal Zone for 2 years following the war. He was a proud Plank Owner of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. Not long after his discharge in October 1947, he moved to Richmond, where he later met the lovely Mary Williams Birchett and swept her off her feet—they were engaged after their 4 th date and married seven months later. Together, they traveled extensively, including trips with the Navy Memorial Foundation to Pearl Harbor (twice), Australia and Guadalcanal, Japan and Korea for 50 th anniversary commemorations marking significant events of WWII.
Clarence grew up in a poor family in the rural South during the Great Depression, but as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he considered himself a very wealthy man. Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Whit became a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church upon his marriage to Mary in 1952, and he served there as choir member, Deacon, Elder, Sunday School Superintendent, Wednesday Night Supper “emcee,” and general “fix-it” man. Whit’s lifetime community involvement and accomplishments were extensive: President and Life Member of Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop #713, President of Richmond Host Lion’s Club, Commander of American Legion Post 84, Past Master of Tuckahoe Lodge No. 347, A.F. & A.M., Past District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District 15-C; Past Venerable Master and Life Member of Richmond Scottish Rite Bodies, 33° Inspector General Honorary, Board member of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, a member of ACCA Temple Shrine and Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #41, International Order of Job’s Daughters. He retired from his position as Vice President/Sales Manager of Lawrence Sanitary Company in 1991, after 27 years of employment there.
Many will remember Whit as “BoBo the Clown” from the Miller & Rhoads Santa Claus Train and Tobacco Festival Parades during the 1960s and early 1970s. Bringing smiles to children’s faces was both his mission and his delight.
In recent years, numerous people have shared with his children their stories of gratitude for the profound influence Whit had on their lives and the many ways he served others, often without his family even knowing it. He was a champion of the underdog and did what he could to make his world a better place. He loved to roast peanuts and make peach ice cream from Mary’s homemade custard. He loved sunsets and sailboats and took countless photos of both. He loved feeding and watching the birds but hated the pesky squirrels who raided his feeders. He loved a good joke and was a prolific storyteller. Carpentry was a favorite pastime of Whit’s, and he was a skilled craftsman; his children’s homes are full of things lovingly made by his hands. Above all, Whit loved his wife and their family and told them so often. He was a hard-worker and an excellent provider and protector. He is missed more than words can say, but his family is comforted by the knowledge that his broken heart is now healed and he is reunited with the woman who was his anchor in life.
The family is so grateful to the staff of Sunrise of Richmond for the care they provided to both Whit and Mary over the last three years and to Hospice Community Care/Traditions Health for easing their journey.
A service will be held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1627 Monument Ave., Richmond, Virginia on Friday, March 26, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Westhampton Memorial Park, 10000 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Virginia with Masonic Rites and military honors. Grace Covenant’s protocols will be in place, including wearing masks and social distancing. Registration for attending the in-person service is encouraged. The service will also be livestreamed. To register for the in-person service or to view the livestream, please visit www.grace-covenant.org/cwhitley. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, U.S. Navy Memorial or Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Clarence Edward “Whit” Whitley, age 94, passed away of a broken heart on Saturday, March 20, 2021. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph Benjamin and Mary Waff Whitley; his brothers, Joseph Benbury Whitley, Stanley Waff Whitley, Horace Benjamin Whitley and William LeGrand Whitley; and his sister, Mary Elizabeth Whitley Snead. His devoted wife of 68 years, Mary Birchett Whitley, predeceased him by just 11 weeks. Survivors include his son, Joseph Birchett Whitley; daughters, Carole Whitley Wagner (Don), and Terry Whitley Curro (Dave); grandchildren, Claire Whitley Rotruck (Adam), Kristi Wagner Brackett (Jacob), Sara Haskins Whitley, Ryan August “Augie” Wagner, Paula Kathryn Wagner and Bret Anthony Curro; great-grandchildren, Brooks and Bennett Rotruck and Graciela “Chela” Brackett; and his beloved dog, Dakota.
Born July 6, 1926, at the family home in Hertford County, North Carolina, Clarence grew up on a farm outside Murfreesboro, where his father raised cotton and peanuts. After learning of the death of a young man from his hometown during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he vowed to join the U.S. Navy when he became of age and did so in April 1944. He served on a ship repair base in the Philippines for the remainder of World War II and then in the Panama Canal Zone for 2 years following the war. He was a proud Plank Owner of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. Not long after his discharge in October 1947, he moved to Richmond, where he later met the lovely Mary Williams Birchett and swept her off her feet—they were engaged after their 4 th date and married seven months later. Together, they traveled extensively, including trips with the Navy Memorial Foundation to Pearl Harbor (twice), Australia and Guadalcanal, Japan and Korea for 50 th anniversary commemorations marking significant events of WWII.
Clarence grew up in a poor family in the rural South during the Great Depression, but as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he considered himself a very wealthy man. Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Whit became a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church upon his marriage to Mary in 1952, and he served there as choir member, Deacon, Elder, Sunday School Superintendent, Wednesday Night Supper “emcee,” and general “fix-it” man. Whit’s lifetime community involvement and accomplishments were extensive: President and Life Member of Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop #713, President of Richmond Host Lion’s Club, Commander of American Legion Post 84, Past Master of Tuckahoe Lodge No. 347, A.F. & A.M., Past District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District 15-C; Past Venerable Master and Life Member of Richmond Scottish Rite Bodies, 33° Inspector General Honorary, Board member of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, a member of ACCA Temple Shrine and Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #41, International Order of Job’s Daughters. He retired from his position as Vice President/Sales Manager of Lawrence Sanitary Company in 1991, after 27 years of employment there.
Many will remember Whit as “BoBo the Clown” from the Miller & Rhoads Santa Claus Train and Tobacco Festival Parades during the 1960s and early 1970s. Bringing smiles to children’s faces was both his mission and his delight.
In recent years, numerous people have shared with his children their stories of gratitude for the profound influence Whit had on their lives and the many ways he served others, often without his family even knowing it. He was a champion of the underdog and did what he could to make his world a better place. He loved to roast peanuts and make peach ice cream from Mary’s homemade custard. He loved sunsets and sailboats and took countless photos of both. He loved feeding and watching the birds but hated the pesky squirrels who raided his feeders. He loved a good joke and was a prolific storyteller. Carpentry was a favorite pastime of Whit’s, and he was a skilled craftsman; his children’s homes are full of things lovingly made by his hands. Above all, Whit loved his wife and their family and told them so often. He was a hard-worker and an excellent provider and protector. He is missed more than words can say, but his family is comforted by the knowledge that his broken heart is now healed and he is reunited with the woman who was his anchor in life.
The family is so grateful to the staff of Sunrise of Richmond for the care they provided to both Whit and Mary over the last three years and to Hospice Community Care/Traditions Health for easing their journey.
A service will be held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1627 Monument Ave., Richmond, Virginia on Friday, March 26, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Westhampton Memorial Park, 10000 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Virginia with Masonic Rites and military honors. Grace Covenant’s protocols will be in place, including wearing masks and social distancing. Registration for attending the in-person service is encouraged. The service will also be livestreamed. To register for the in-person service or to view the livestream, please visit www.grace-covenant.org/cwhitley. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, U.S. Navy Memorial or Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Born July 6, 1926, at the family home in Hertford County, North Carolina, Clarence grew up on a farm outside Murfreesboro, where his father raised cotton and peanuts. After learning of the death of a young man from his hometown during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he vowed to join the U.S. Navy when he became of age and did so in April 1944. He served on a ship repair base in the Philippines for the remainder of World War II and then in the Panama Canal Zone for 2 years following the war. He was a proud Plank Owner of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. Not long after his discharge in October 1947, he moved to Richmond, where he later met the lovely Mary Williams Birchett and swept her off her feet—they were engaged after their 4 th date and married seven months later. Together, they traveled extensively, including trips with the Navy Memorial Foundation to Pearl Harbor (twice), Australia and Guadalcanal, Japan and Korea for 50 th anniversary commemorations marking significant events of WWII.
Clarence grew up in a poor family in the rural South during the Great Depression, but as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he considered himself a very wealthy man. Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Whit became a member of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church upon his marriage to Mary in 1952, and he served there as choir member, Deacon, Elder, Sunday School Superintendent, Wednesday Night Supper “emcee,” and general “fix-it” man. Whit’s lifetime community involvement and accomplishments were extensive: President and Life Member of Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad, Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop #713, President of Richmond Host Lion’s Club, Commander of American Legion Post 84, Past Master of Tuckahoe Lodge No. 347, A.F. & A.M., Past District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District 15-C; Past Venerable Master and Life Member of Richmond Scottish Rite Bodies, 33° Inspector General Honorary, Board member of the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, a member of ACCA Temple Shrine and Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #41, International Order of Job’s Daughters. He retired from his position as Vice President/Sales Manager of Lawrence Sanitary Company in 1991, after 27 years of employment there.
Many will remember Whit as “BoBo the Clown” from the Miller & Rhoads Santa Claus Train and Tobacco Festival Parades during the 1960s and early 1970s. Bringing smiles to children’s faces was both his mission and his delight.
In recent years, numerous people have shared with his children their stories of gratitude for the profound influence Whit had on their lives and the many ways he served others, often without his family even knowing it. He was a champion of the underdog and did what he could to make his world a better place. He loved to roast peanuts and make peach ice cream from Mary’s homemade custard. He loved sunsets and sailboats and took countless photos of both. He loved feeding and watching the birds but hated the pesky squirrels who raided his feeders. He loved a good joke and was a prolific storyteller. Carpentry was a favorite pastime of Whit’s, and he was a skilled craftsman; his children’s homes are full of things lovingly made by his hands. Above all, Whit loved his wife and their family and told them so often. He was a hard-worker and an excellent provider and protector. He is missed more than words can say, but his family is comforted by the knowledge that his broken heart is now healed and he is reunited with the woman who was his anchor in life.
The family is so grateful to the staff of Sunrise of Richmond for the care they provided to both Whit and Mary over the last three years and to Hospice Community Care/Traditions Health for easing their journey.
A service will be held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1627 Monument Ave., Richmond, Virginia on Friday, March 26, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Westhampton Memorial Park, 10000 Patterson Ave., Richmond, Virginia with Masonic Rites and military honors. Grace Covenant’s protocols will be in place, including wearing masks and social distancing. Registration for attending the in-person service is encouraged. The service will also be livestreamed. To register for the in-person service or to view the livestream, please visit www.grace-covenant.org/cwhitley. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, U.S. Navy Memorial or Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
