Ben Allen Whittington

On August 11, 2024, in the loving presence of his family, Ben Allen Whittington passed away peacefully at the age of 77 in his Rancho Santa Margarita, California home. A long-time resident of Orange County, California since 1986, Ben was a native and proud Texan, born on June 7, 1947, in Fort Hood, Texas to his parents, William Thomas and Maxine Edith Whittington. Ben's childhood was adventurous and filled with many travels due to his father's military assignments, living in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Missouri, Japan, and Germany.

An eventual relocation to the U.S. brought Ben back to his native Texas in 1959, specifically to Fort Sam Houston. He graduated from French High School in 1965 and afterwards attended both Texas A&M and Lamar University, where in 1969 he earned a degree in accounting. His early career began in the auto parts aftermarket, lasting a decade before he transitioned into the machine tool business in 1982. In 1993, he founded Ameritech Machine Tools, which allowed him to travel the world and forge many lasting friendships. He was an active member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

In addition to his professional and personal pursuits, Ben was an active Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas National Guard for four years, where his proud service to our nation was marked by his retirement in 2008.

Ben loved his family generously and was an incredibly kind and loyal friend. He was a devout member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. His interests and hobbies included time and adventures with his family and two dogs, enjoyable conversation, traveling, skiing, golfing, and reading, all activities that he pursued throughout his life.

Ben is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Cheryl Kirksey Whittington of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, formerly of Chickasha, Oklahoma; a proud father to his two sons, James "Jim" Thomas Whittington of San Antonio and Mark Milner Whittington and his wife Jennifer Judice Whittington of Mission Viejo, California; his loving brother James H. Pearl and his wife Kay Pearl of San Antonio, Texas; and the light of his life, his grandson, PFC Dylan Thomas Whittington, stationed in Grafenwoehr, Germany; a large and loving extended family, which includes sisters and brother's in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and life-long friends. Ben was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, William Thomas Whittington II.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 1:00 PM PST at St. John's Episcopal Church, located at 30382 Via Con Dios, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688.

Flowers can be coordinated directly with the church. Please contact:
Rebecca Swartz
(949) 888-4534
ca@stjohns-es.org

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Ben's memory to:

-St. John's Episcopal Church at www.stjohnsrsm.org

-The National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/

- Disabled American Veterans: https://www.dav.org/