John C. Whitman

Morris
John Charles Whitman, age 82 of Morris, NY died March 11, 2025, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. He was born June 28, 1942 at Fox Hospital in Oneonta, the only child of Charles H and Doris L (Card) Whitman.
John was a lifelong resident of Morris and could trace back the family there four generations. He grew up living in the Village of Morris and attended Morris Central School, graduating in the class of 1960. John was raised by his mother Doris and his maternal grandmother, Alice Card. John was an excellent athlete in Junior and Senior High School and was named to the Tri Valley league All Stars in basketball twice and in baseball as well. He was the recipient of a Regents Diploma and upon graduation from MCS, John attended Hartwick College and received his Bachelor of Arts in English.
Upon his college graduation, John began his working career as a copy editor at the Utica Observer Dispatch and from there, he moved into banking at the First National Bank of Morris and, while employed there, he oversaw the merger between that bank and Wilber National Bank in 1973. John served as Vice President and Board of Directors member at both banks for several years. John later purchased a car dealership in Oneonta which then became Whitman Oldsmobile & Cadillac and he stayed working in the automobile industry for the next twenty or so years.
After departing the car business, John spent the next twenty years as a self-employed house painter where he found a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment of his craft, bettering the aesthetic of many homes in and around the Butternut Valley. He was never without work and was often booked out a year or more in advance, largely due to his skill and professionalism but also his kind demeanor.
John is survived by his beloved and only son Geoffrey Whitman and his family; wife Jemina and sons Gryphon and Jack, of Napa, California, as well as his beloved step-son Richard G Barbieri of Morris and also his favorite cousin James D Preston and his wife Connie of Cape Cod, and their children Todd and Jennifer and their families. He is also survived by lifelong friends Eric Shields, Phil Clement and Stevie Morley as well as dear friends Ken Haney, Ellen Sokolow and Lorenzo Graham.
In his retirement, John loved playing golf and played exclusively at his favorite course, Colonial Ridge in Laurens where he became close with the Waffle family; Mona, Jeff & Julene, Lincoln, Levi and Lucas as well as Jeff and Dutch Waffle who were all considered a second family to him. He also wanted it known that his golf buddies Tom Rollins, Ken Walling, Cobbie and Ken Geer, with whom he spent many wonderful hours with, will be sorely missed.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM at the Zion Episcopal Church, 158 Main Street Morris and his remains will be scattered by his family and friends at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in John's memory may be made to Susquehanna Animal Shelter, 4841 NY-8 Cooperstown, NY 13326.
John's family has entrusted his care to Edd Stanimer of the Johnston and Stanimer Funeral Home in Morris. For online condolences to his family please visit www.JohnstonFH.com.