Dr. Francis M. Whittaker

Dr. Francis M. Whittaker Died January 21, in La Jolla, Calif., at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary, also of La Jolla, his sister, Eunice Watson of Seattle, sons Bill of La Jolla, Jim of Sao Paolo, Brazil, Tom and John of Portland, Oregon, and nine grandchildren, J.C., Grant, Peter, Russell, Lauren, J.T., Maddy, Sarah and Clay.

Born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, on May 3, 1916, he was raised in Minneapolis. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in 1942. Upon graduating he enlisted in the Navy and served as the ship's doctor on the U.S.S. Sands, a destroyer escort carrying U.S. and Australian under water demolition teams in advance of thirteen major invasions in the South Pacific.

After WWII ended, he was stationed in Norman, Oklahoma where he met Mary Aub Craighead, a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma. They were married in Oklahoma City on June 5, 1946. Dr. Whittaker continued his medical training at Cook County General in Chicago and Columbia University in New York City before entering his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Santa Clara County Hospital. After completing his residency, he went into private practice in San Jose where he practiced until his retirement in 1984. Over the course of more than 40 years as a physician he delivered over 10,000 babies. As busy as he was, he still found time to serve as a director of the San Jose YMCA, an elder of the Foothill Presbyterian Church, and president of the San Jose Hospital School of Nursing.

A fine golfer all of his life, he was also a great supporter and contributor to the game. He served as a director of the Northern California Golf Association, the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association, the Desert Seniors Golf Association, and served on the United States Golf Association Senior Committee. He was president of the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association in 1987-1988. He belonged to the Society of Seniors and the Northern California Seniors. He was a member of the Sainte Claire Club, Spyglass Hill Golf Club, and Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the TMGA Turf Scholarship Fund, 3301 Clinton Parkway Court, Suite 4, Lawrence, Kansas 66047.