Marjorie Jean Whittaker

Marjorie Jean Whittaker, age 91, of Wilmington, NC and formerly of Wilmington, DE, passed away on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Marjorie Jean Wormeck Whittaker was born in her childhood home in Philadelphia, PA, the youngest child of Nellie K. and George J. Wormeck. She had one brother, George P. Wormeck, who died in 2009. Marjorie was graduated from Frankford High School in 1942 and was graduated from Drexel Institute of Technology in 1946 with a BS Home Economics. At Drexel she received the award for the highest ranking senior in home economics and the Phi Kappa Key. She was graduated from Penn State University in 1950 with an MS in Nutrition. Marjorie was a college instructor of foods and nutrition at Hood College, Frederic Maryland, 1950-1951, where she was also the resident director of the Home Management House for Senior Home Economics students. Marjorie then taught foods and nutrition classes at New Jersey College for Women, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1951-1953, before becoming a Nutrition Specialist with the Agriculture Extension Service at Penn State University 1953-1957. In this position she was required to drive on the back roads of PA, but she hated driving over snowy mountains. So then she switched to being the Nutrition Specialist with the Agriculture Extension Service at the University of Delaware, 1957-1959. She was a culinary trouble shooter. While a single, professional woman, Marjorie was also living her life, including a month long trip to Europe by herself, travelling on the Queen Elizabeth and notably kissing the Blarney Stone in a nod to her Irish heritage on her mother's side. In 1958 Marjorie married Willard James Whittaker, a graduate of the University of Delaware, at Christ Methodist Church in Wilmington, DE. They had two boys in addition to the two boys that Willard brought to the family. Marjorie stayed at home to raise her children until they were in school. In 1969 Marjorie was graduated from the University of Delaware with an MS in Secondary School Guidance. She then started as the Special Education teacher at Richardson Park Junior High School, 1969-1970, before becoming the Guidance Counselor first at Richardson Park Junior High School and then at Conrad Middle School from 1970-1983. The change in her work location was a result of changes made following desegregation. After retiring from professional work, Willard and Marjorie moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. Shortly after arriving in NC, Marjorie began teaching English as a Second Language at Winter Park Baptist Church (1983-2013). She loved it and was very dedicated. She taught people from around the world. She formed lasting bonds with some students, keeping up with them over the years. Marjorie was gracious, courteous, and decorous. She loved playing bridge, travel, and her crossword puzzles. She will be missed. Marjorie was predeceased by her husband, Willard, in 2008, after 49 years of marriage, and by her step-son, David, in 1992. She is survived by her sons Bruce and Barry, her step-son Jim, her nieces Jane Wormeck and Carol Schmitt, her 6 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, June 9, 2016, 11:00 AM at the Chandler Funeral Home, 2506 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803 where friends and family are invited to attend a visitation prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest a donation to the Dementia Society of America, a related charity, or a charity of your choice.