Thomas J. Whitaker

WHITAKER THOMAS JOHN WHITAKER On Monday, December 31, 2007. Beloved father to Thomas P. and John M. Whitaker; grandfather to Erin, Michael, Laura and Kevin Whitaker and Lisa M. Genello; father-in-law to Donna B. and the late beloved Leslie Whitaker. He was preceded in death by a sister Mary; his brother Joseph; and in 2005, by his wife and soul mate of 62 years, Mary Kathleen Whitaker. He is survived by many relatives and friends. Born in Shenandoah, PA in 1917, son of Patrick and Julia Lawlor Whitaker, at age 10 he lost his father to a coal mine accident, but finished business school with a degree in stenography. In 1940 he came to Washington, starting at the War Department as a clerk typist. After Pearl Harbor he joined the Coast Guard and served in the North Atlantic aboard the anti-submarine frigate USS Alexandria, transferring to the Navy in 1946 and Army in 1949. In the Korean War with the Second Division G-2, he earned a Bronze Star in 1951 after the retreat from the Yalu River. He later served with the Defense AttachC) System in Ireland, Norway, and Pakistan; and as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Philippine Army before retirement in 1972 as Sergeant Major. He then served with the Agency for International Development until 1986. He and Mary traveled to over 40 countries during their marriage. There was no retirement from golf - three “holes in one” after age 70. He loved God and the Catholic Church and donated to numerous charities. At St. Thomas More Parish in Arlington, he served as lector, money counter and usher for some 25 years. He remained active in both swimming and community service, delivering Meals on Wheels into and beyond his 90th birthday. The family will receive friends on Friday, January 4, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the MURPHY FUNERAL HOME OF ARLINGTON, 4510 Wilson Blvd. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, 3901 Cathedral Lane, Arlington, on Saturday, January 5, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be in the Arlington National Cemetery on February 19 at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in his name to Catholic Charities of Northern Virginia, 3838 Cathedral Lane, Arlington VA 22203.