Richard Wriston Whitfield

Richard Wriston Whitfield Dr. Richard W. Whitfield, M.D. (67), died April 7, 2010, at The Hospice of Charleston, SC, after a long illness. Dr. Whitfield was the son of the late John and Muriel Whitfield of New Canaan, Connecticut. He attended Choata School for Boys and Brown University for undergraduate studies. He went on to complete post-graduate studies at Duke Medical School. Dr. Whitfield spent much of his career in Bakersfield, California where he worked in private practice and had a leading role in the Valley Fever Vaccine Project for which he received a Presidential Citation under Ronald Reagan. As a reservist and active duty Navy Captain, Dr. Whitfield served in Yokosuka, Japan and Beaufort, South Carolina as a staff pediatrician and Department Head of Pediatrics. Dr. Whitfield enjoyed hobbies such as HAM radio, watch and clock instrument restoration, photography, meteorology, and held a private pilot license. Dr. Whitfield is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen Walsh Whitfield; his brother, John; six children, and two grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), which conducts a group memorial for individuals that have donated their body for medical instruction. He was loved by all, and will be deeply missed. www.bakersfield.com/obits