Vernon Whiting

Vernon Orrin Whiting, 90, of Independence, Missouri, died Thursday afternoon, October 17, 2024, at Centerpoint Hospital in Independence, Missouri.
He was born August 2, 1934, in Clitherall, Minnesota, son of Richard Adrian and Myrtle Imogene (Vargason) Whiting. Vernon was a graduate of the Battle Lake High School in Battle Lake, Minnesota in 1952. After graduating high school, Vernon moved to Independence, Missouri from Minnesota. In 1953 he met Eva Marie Burkhart, from Carrollton, Missouri, and they were married on April 4, 1954.
His first job was working in a foundry as a welder. He later went on to work at Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a turret lathe operator building jet engines. When Westinghouse closed in 1959, he briefly worked for Allis Chalmers, and then accepted a position with Bendix Aviation where he served as an apprenticeship for 4 years in Tool and Die Making. He continued in that trade for several years. In 1968 he accepted a new position at Bendix as a computer programmer, making programs for numeric controlled machines. After being laid off in 1974, he went to work for National Aluminum and Brass as a Data Processing Manager and programmer and stayed there for nine years. In 1983, he returned to Bendix as a trouble shooting analyst, until he retired in 1995.
He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with his boys going through Boy Scouts, serving as a Cubmaster and later as an Assistant Scoutmaster. He loved spending time at their small cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks (Ivy Bend) where he would swim, water ski, sail, and fish. He also spent a lot of his time building onto the lake house to have room for all of his family to visit. Vernon delighted in listening to and playing music (he could play the guitar and banjo) and attending country music shows. He was also an avid reader and would dedicate his time researching his family's genealogy and working on computers. As he grew older his grandkids and great grandkids would always look forward to working on puzzles with Papa.
Vernon was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Crist (Cutlerites) and was ordained President of the Melchisedec Priesthood of this Church on October 9, 2011, holding that position until his death.
Survivors include his wife of 70 years, three sons, Gerry Whiting and his wife Jackie, Gassville, AR., Kenny Whiting, Blue Springs, MO., Denny Whiting, Independence, MO.; eight grandchildren, Christy Davenport and husband Donnie, Mindy Spano and husband Mike, Thomas Craig and wife Sarah, Kelly Clark, Jennifer Mitchem, Melissa Vickers, Jason Whiting and wife Lori, Misty Whiting; 25 great grandchildren; 11 great great grandchildren; and a daughter in law, Cindy Whiting. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son Richard Whiting, Sr. and a grandson, Richard Whiting, Jr.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. November 1, 2024, at the Trotter Cemetery with the Rev. Julie Davenport officiating.
Funeral services are under the direction of the Bittiker Funeral Home, Carrollton, Missouri.