George H. Whitaker

George H. Whitaker, 74, of Sanford passed away peacefully Sunday, June 8, 2025 after a courageous and hard-fought battle with dementia. He was surrounded by those he loved most in his last days.

George was born in Robeson County, a son of the late Paul David Whitaker and Mary Thompson Whitaker. His early childhood was spent in the Abbottsburg community of Bladen County before his family moved to Sanford in the late 1950s. He was preceded in death by a son, Danny Whitaker, and siblings, Frances W. Tyner, Horace Whitaker, and Tommy Whitaker.

George is survived by his wife, Molly Lawrence Whitaker; a son Jeremey Whitaker (Ashley); a daughter, Becky Whitaker; granddaughters, Lauren and Caroline Whitaker and their mother Michelle C. Whitaker, Grace and Hannah Britton; a brother, Jerome Whitaker (Vickie); sister-in-law Sally Lawrence Sandifer (Chris); and many beloved nephews and nieces.

George graduated from East Carolina University and the North Carolina Central University School of Law. He began his law practice in Sanford in 1987 and served the Lee County community for over thirty years, with his faithful paralegal, Jodi Yow, by his side. George practiced law the way he lived his life – with deep empathy and compassion for others and a prevailing commitment to justice.

George was a faithful member of the Moffitt-Hoyle-Jones Sunday School class at Saint Luke United Methodist Church. He was a member of the Sanford Lions Club for many years and served as Chair of the Lee County Board of Elections. He was an avid deep-sea fisherman, enjoying many fishing trips over the years off the North Carolina coast and in Central America.

There will be a celebration of life in the Sanctuary at Saint Luke UMC in Sanford at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 12. The family will greet friends following the service in Saint Luke’s Davenport Christian Life Center.

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Cardinal Care in Dunn, Parkview Retirement Village in Sanford, and Gentiva Hospice of Harnett County and Lee County.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center by visiting https://giving.wakehealth.edu and designating your gift for Aging and Alzheimer’s.