Sterling Whitener

Sterling Hegnauer Whitener, who was born in China to missionary parents and lived a life of faith, service, and adventure, died at his home at Friends Homes West in Greensboro on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017. He was 95. As recounted in his 2013 book, In the Shadow of the Pagoda, Dr. Whitener's love of China and his life growing up during the pre-war years helped to form his passionate personality. He thrived at the Kuling American School located on the mountain of Lushan in Central China. After graduating from Catawba College in Salisbury in 1942, and Yale Divinity School in 1945, his strong desire to serve led him and his bride, Barbara Brown Whitener, back to China in 1946. Forced to leave after the Communist take-over, Dr. Whitener and his family moved to Hong Kong, where they served for 15 years, working with church and government agencies to resettle refugees flooding out of China. On a furlough in 1963-65, he earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Catawba College. Returning to the United States permanently in 1967, Dr. Whitener forged a national reputation by developing an accredited social work program at Livingstone College in Salisbury. He also became a gerontology specialist and undertook consulting as a proponent of Continuing Care Retirement Communities. With Barbara and their six children, he embraced a warm family life while enthusiastically gardening, hiking near their vacation cottage in Blowing Rock, and traveling the world, including ten trips back to China. He retired in 1987, and in 1994 he and Barbara were in the very first cohort of residents at the newly built Friends Homes West in Greensboro. Dr. Whitener is survived by his wife, Barbara, and five children – Chris, Katrina, Kim, Bonnie, and Dana (daughter Karen 1948-2001), ten grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Arrangements: A memorial service will be held at Friends Homes West in the Living Room at 3 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 2. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to Congregational UCC in Greensboro for their outreach programs, or Middle Fork Greenway Association, c/o Blue Ridge Conservancy.