Ronald M. Whitaker

Ronald Melvin Whitaker passed away on December 12, 2025. He was born May 28, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Melvin and Evelyn Whitaker. Ron and his parents moved to the Village of New Lenox when he was five years old, and he called New Lenox home for the rest of his life. In 1957 he married Mary Frances Shive, who had recently moved to New Lenox to teach English at Lincoln-Way High School. Together they raised two sons, David and Andy. Ron and Mary celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary this past March.

For over 50 years, Ron owned and operated an independent insurance agency at the corner of Church Street and Lincoln Highway – a fixture in New Lenox as it grew from 2500 residents to over 25,000. He was an avid ham radio operator and railroad enthusiast, and hand-built an elaborate HO gauge train layout in his home. He loved the family’s annual vacations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the trips to Africa he took with Mary after the boys were grown.

Ron had a long history of service to his community. He was the New Lenox Police Magistrate from 1961-65, and the first president of the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce. At various times he served on the New Lenox Township Library Board, the New Lenox Village Board, the New Lenox Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, and the Maplewood Cemetery Association Board of Directors. At the state level he was President of both the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (1989) and the Illinois Fire and Police Commissioners Association (2000). One of his proudest accomplishments was serving on the inaugural Board of Trustees for newly formed Joliet Junior College District #525, where he was involved in acquiring the land, and developing the campus building plan, for what is now JJC’s main campus. After helping create the modern JJC, he returned to it as a student and earned an associate degree in business management.

Awards recognizing his service included the Cartwright Award from the Illinois Independent Insurance Agents Association (1998), the Doc Wilson humanitarian award from the Illinois Fire and Police Commissioners Association (2003), and both a Citizen of the Year (1982) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) from the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce.

Ron is survived by his sons R. David Whitaker (Mary Victoria Dycus) and Andrew L. Whitaker, his grandchildren Stuart W. Dycus, Richard D. Whitaker (Lindsay), Marian D. Whitaker, Christina Hildebrand (Ryan), and Tony Schlorff (Sarah), three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife Mary, who passed away on June 19, 2025.

A memorial service for Ronald Melvin Whitaker will be held at 10:30 AM on January 19, 2026, at the United Methodist Church of New Lenox, 339 West Haven Avenue, New Lenox, Illinois. The service will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend, the livestream will start approximately 5 minutes prior to the service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Ron’s name to the New Lenox Area Historical Society at https://newlenoxhistory.org/, or to the United Methodist Church of New Lenox.