Whitney Isaiah Francois

Whitney Isaiah Francois was the youngest of ten children born to Alzona and Clarence Francois, Sr. on January 19, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Marie C. Couvent Elementary School and Frederick Douglass, Junior High School in New Orleans. At age 16, Whitney moved to Los Angeles, California to live with his oldest sister Geraldyne where he graduated from George Washington High School. Whitney pursued his higher education at the University of California in Santa Barbara where he was an exceptional student, earning a place on the Dean's list for outstanding academic achievement. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and spent the first years of his postgraduate employment in the corporate world working in accounting and tax preparation.

After moving to Atlanta in 2009 he developed his passion for cooking into a new career path in Culinary Arts and Food Services. He founded "In the Name of the Father", an outreach ministry in Atlanta providing food to those severely affected by poverty and mental illness. Whitney loved to cook and shared his talents wherever he could. You could count on him to help with food preparation at all large family events or to host a luncheon for the residents of his apartment community. Whitney believed his food ministry was "a true commandment from God to give back the gifts and talents that were freely given to him".

Whitney accepted Christ in his youth at the Greater Emmanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans. After relocating to Los Angeles, he joined Mt. Tabor Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. E.E. Stafford and the current Dr.Ticey M. Brown. Although he later moved to Atlanta, Whitney continued to attend the Pacesetters Sunday School class whenever he was in Los Angeles. When in Atlanta he attended Ebenezer Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Raphael Warnock. In New Orleans, Whitney joined Franklin Avenue Baptist Church on December 5, 2021, under the leadership of Pastor Fred Luter, Jr.

Whitney was blessed with one biological daughter, Shoshana Francois, but was also "Pops" to her siblings Anita Morris and Kevin Reed. He was also loved and will be missed by many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, from all over the country. Whitney will be fondly remembered as a person who lived on his terms. He filled his time on earth doing what he loved: traveling, cooking, listening to music, watching sports, and attending concerts and festivals.

On Friday, September 6, 2024, Whitney received his heavenly wings and a call to be with the Lord. He was preceded in death by his parents Alzona and Clarence Francois Sr., daughter Shoshana Francois, brothers Clarence Francois Jr., Bernard Francois, David Francois, and Manuel Francois, and sisters Velva Francois-Williams, and Manuella Francois-Hill. He is survived by his brother James Francois of New Orleans, sisters Geraldyne Francois-Renfurm of Los Angeles, and Myrthe Francois-McClain of Inglewood, California along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.