W.C. Whitley

W.C. Whitley Jr., 98, of Bald Knob, passed away March 1, 2016. He was born on December 9, 1917 in Bradford to Clyde and Auneen (Hodges) Whitley. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Montine Richards Whitley. He is survived by his sons, Billy Whitley (Kelly) and Rick Whitley (Holly); his daughters, Debbie Hill (Tom) and Susan Cox (Richard); his grandchildren, Kristen Richardson (Justin) and Kayla Fairbanks (Allan), Alexis and Brett Whitley, Ryan and Ally Burgess, Sarah, Anna, Elizabeth, and Mary Claire Hill, and Whitley, Laura, and Rebecca Cox; and his great-grandchildren, Izzy and Isaac Richardson and Aiden and Cade Fairbanks. Growing up he worked as a soda jerk in his father's drugstore, managed his parents' gas station, and raised a bale of cotton to pay for a year of college. After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a B.A. in Business in 1941, he supervised a chemical factory in Maumelle. During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and received officer's training at Harvard University. He served in the South Pacific on a patrol craft that directed several island invasions including the Battle of Okinawa, which lasted for months and involved Kamikaze attacks on his ship. He was the executive officer of his ship and attained the rank of Lieutenant (jg). W.C. celebrated the end of the war while docked in Pearl Harbor. After the war, W.C. operated the Bald Knob Lumber Company and worked diligently well into his nineties. He loved the long-term relationships with his loyal customers. W.C. held numerous leadership positions in his church and civic organizations, including serving on the Bald Knob School Board. He is considered the day he married Montine the best day of his life. They lived their lives side by side, whether it was working at the lumber yard or playing golf. They were each other's best friend. His devotion to her was beautifully expressed in how he loved her well during her long-term illness, rarely leaving her side. W.C. was happiest when spending time with his family. He had a great sense of humor and made his family laugh with his sayings and jokes. Family gatherings ended with Daddy telling his children and grandchildren how proud he was of them. He was a true gentleman and treated everyone with kindness and dignity. He will be dearly missed. The family wants to thank his caregivers for their kindness and love for Daddy and Dr. Ransom, Dr. Henderson, Dr. Robinson, and Dr. Lim who treated him with great care and respect. Visitation will be held Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 1-2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Bald Knob. Funeral Services will begin at 2 p.m. Interment with military honors will follow in the Shady Grove Cemetery by Powell Funeral Home Bald Knob-Judsonia. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church. www.powellfuneralhome.net.