Phyllis Winifred Whitaker

Phyllis Winifred Stewart Whitaker, daughter of Roy Glenn Stewart and Bianca Becker Stewart, was born on March 26, 1921 in Winside, Nebraska. She died on August 17, 2010 in Lake City Medical Center, Lake City, Florida, after a brief illness.
A precocious child, she was reading before she started school and her love of literature never waned. A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida She also excelled in sports, teaching archery in gym class at the request of her gym teacher, winning several archery competitions, and was a member of the Girls' Athletic Association winning a letter and a silver cup as captain of the volley ball team.
Her education continued at Lake City Junior College, , graduating in 1971, with an AA degree magna cum laude. Florida Blue Key honored her as the outstanding female student of her graduating class and she was included in "Who's Who in Junior Colleges" and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. At the request of the College, she donated one of her paintings to the College Art Hall of Fame.
She completed her college studies at Valdosta State College, graduating in 1977 cum laude with a BS in English and a teaching certification. She was a member of the Georgia Student Educational Association, and the American Association of University Women. She taught reading for two years at JRE Lee School in Jasper. She tutored for many years, helping adults working on their GED, brain-damaged children, elementary and high school students.
On March 27, 1943, at Riverside Park Methodist Church, she married a handsome Second Lieutenant, Frederick Struppa Whitaker, Jr. For the next few years she followed him around the country, as he served the Army Air Corps, reading her way through the public libraries of Manhattan, Kansas, San Antonio and Houston, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee and Richmond, California.
From her teen years, she was tireless in serving others playing the piano for the Vacation Bible School at the Riverside Park Methodist Church, where she was also a member of the Westminster Fellowship. She joined the First Presbyterian Church of Lake City, Florida in 1949 when the family moved to Lulu, and was an active member until her death. She assisted in Vacation Bible School, taught Sunday School classes of every age group, helped in the church nurseries, was adult advisor for the Senior High Fellowship and chairperson of several circles. She also served as vice-president, president and district chairperson of the Women of the Church. She served three terms as Elder and on several committees of the Presbytery and was active in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It was at the General Assembly of the presbyterian Church in 1990 that a brief three-minute speech she delivered on the floor changed the entire course of the Assembly.
While she was deeply devoted to her church, she was passionate for Boy Scouting. A legendary pioneer in Scouting, she began as an assistant den mother in 1965, later advancing to den mother. She was the first woman to serve as Cub Scout Round Table Commissioner for the Suwannee River District. She served as Cub Scout District Commissioner, Cub Scout District Chairman, Unit Commissioner, District Commissioner and as a merit badge counselor. She was appointed North Florida Council Cub Scout 50th Anniversary Chairman and submitted a photo slide presentation of a Cub Scout that was chosen to be included in the opening ceremony of the national meeting of Cub Scouts in New Orleans in 1980. She was the first recipient of the District Award of Merit from the Suwannee River District, and the first woman to receive the Silver Beaver Award from the North Florida Council. She served for over twenty years on the North Florida Council Advisory Board and on the Executive Board. She attended and received both the very first Cub Scout and later the Boy Scout Wood Badge training. These are the highest level of training available to adult leaders in Scouting. Most recently, on April 24, 2010, in an impressive ceremony at World Golf Village, she was honored as one of the top four finalists out of a field of 400 nominees for the Scouting America Merit Award for the 100th Year Celebration of Scouting in America. Her ties with local Scout Troop 85 exceed twenty years in various roles, including service as Committee Chairman.
A long-time resident of Columbia County, she always claimed that her beloved Suwannee River flowed through her veins. Her interests and activities in the community were many and varied: member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Executive Director of the Columbia County United Way from 1979 to 1989, doubling their contribution during her tenure. In 1989 she was chosen Woman of the Year for Columbia County. She served as Secretary-Treasurer and President of the White Springs Woman's Club and President of the Stephen Foster Music Club, as well as Secretary of the White Springs Recreation Association that raised the funds to establish the softball park in White Springs. For a number of years she was a docent at the Stephen Foster Memorial Museum in White Springs.
She is preceded in death by her devoted husband of sixty-four years, Frederick Struppa Whitaker, Jr., her daughter Laura Ellen Whitaker (Clifton) Bennett and her only brother, Wallace Theodore (Louise) Stewart. She is survived by her daughters, Patricia Louise (David) Durham of Portland, Texas; and Mary Anne Whitaker of Houston, Texas; and by three sons: Frederick Stephen (Andrea) of Wenatchee, Washington; George Edwin (Stacy) of White Springs; and David John of Toronto, Canada; 8 grandchildren, Edward Grant (Bretta) Ogburn of Blairsville, Georgia; Barbara Carol Durham of Austin, Texas; Shannon Michelle Whitaker of Kodiak, Alaska; Jason Michael (Shelly) Whitaker of Spring, Texas; Bryan Zachery Whitaker of Houston, Texas; Rebecca Star Page of Westminster, Colorado; Russell Tyler Whitaker of Lake City, Florida; and Nichole Angelique (Adam) Lavespere of Pineville, Louisiana; 2 step grandchildren, Ed Brooks of Puyallup, Washington and Shaina (Tony) Rodrigues of Kent, Washington; 7 Great-grandchildren: Christa Joy (Josh) Edmonds; Tyler Grant Ogburn; Reece William Ogburn; Tommy Griffin Potter; Caroline Bailey Potter; Jordan Alese Whitaker and Katie Elaine Whitaker.
Memorial Services will be conducted at a later date. Guerry Funeral Home, Lake City is in charge of the arrangements.