ARTHUR GEORGE WITTERS

WITTERS, ARTHUR GEORGE (Colonel, USAF Retired), Beverley and Arthur Witters were married for over sixty-eight years, and left the world recently within two months of each other. They were part of America's "Greatest Generation". Beverley and Arthur were married May 16, 1942, just a few months after meeting each other at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in the midst of World War II. Beverley Anne Phaup Witters was born February 22, 1921, in New York City, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Arthur George Witters was born Sept 22, 1919, in Canton, Ohio and raised there and in Miami, Florida. Col. and Mrs. Witters leave four children and nine grandchildren; Anne Langan (husband Doug, children Tad, Tucker and Elizabeth Ryals), Arthur Witters, Jr. (wife
Valerie, children Amanda and
Matthew), Curtis Witters (wife
Claudia, children Chelsea and Chris), and Richard Witters (wife Francesca, children Kristin and
Jeffrey), as well as seven great grandchildren. In 1941 Arthur graduated from the University of Florida as part of the first graduating class of the College of Building Construction. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the field artillery of the U.S. Army and subsequently selected to train as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. He flew sixty-six combat missions in P-38 and P-47 aircraft in the European Theater. Col. Witters was twice shot down and received numerous decorations including eight air medals. After the war Arthur joined the newly created U.S. Air Force. He then attended graduate school at Iowa State University in architectural engineering, where his master's thesis developed the initial conceptual plan for the design of the U.S. Air Force Academy. After serving as an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy, and upon Congress authorizing the funding for the Academy in 1954, Col. Witters participated in the site selection, design and construction of the new facility and served as its first Director of Installations. He was instrumental in the successful completion of the Academy and was awarded the Legion of Merit for his efforts. Col. Witters retired in 1965 as Chief of the Architectural Branch, Engineering Division and Deputy Director for Construction for Headquarters USAF. After retirement from the Air Force, Arthur continued to serve as an architectural advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force from 1965 to 1970. Arthur then completed a forty year career as a professional engineer and consultant in the design and construction industry. Beverley Witters was a devoted military wife and mother to her children. She supported her husband in the advancement of his long career in the Air Force and later served as his active partner in the construction consulting business that they developed together. Arthur and Beverley made a generous endowment to the University of Florida to create the "Witters Competition"; an academic exercise conducted annually and intended to foster greater cooperation between the design and construction disciplines.
Beverley took great pleasure in social activities with her many friends in the Air Force and later at Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando, FL. Several years before her death, Beverley developed Alzheimer's disease and Arthur took great pride in serving as her primary caretaker. Beverley died on February 21, 2011 and Arthur followed her on April 16, 2011. They will both be missed by a large and loving family and many friends in the area and around the country. Arthur and Beverley will be interred at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado after a private, family memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eight Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001. info@alzfdn.org -
www.alzfdn.org