Joseph Asa Whitt

Joseph Asa Whitt, of Richmond, died Tuesday, October 18, 2005. Born in Chesterfield County, Virginia, he was the seventh of nine children of David and Mary Whitt. He graduated from Manchester High School in 1935 and studied accounting at the Richmond Business College and Virginia Mechanics Institute. In 1939, he earned the Medal for Highest Proficiency in the Virginia Certified Public Accountants examination. In 1946, he was a founding partner of Baker, Brydon, and Whitt. He subsequently served as a senior partner in both Baker, Rennolds, Thompson and Whitt and Derieux, Baker, Thompson and Whitt. The firm joined Deloitte, Haskins and Sells in the mid-1980's, which later became Deloitte and Touche. In recent years, he and his wife, Lena Massey Whitt, focused on developing and restoring historic properties in Petersburg. After World War II, Mr. Whitt began teaching at the newly established School of Business of the University of Richmond. Here he taught accounting and the CPA Examination preparatory course for many years. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and previously served as the editor of its publication, Virginia Accountant. In 1964, he was one of the founders of the Richmond Public Forum, predecessor of today's Richmond Forum, which presents a nationally-recognized lecture series every year. He served as a director, treasurer, and president of the forum over the years. He also was a member of the Torch Club and served as treasurer. Since the 1950's, he was active in the First Unitarian Church. He was a member and Past Master of the Chesterfield Masonic Lodge 161 and the Scottish Rite. He is survived by his wife, Lena M. Whitt; two children, Joseph Asa Whitt Jr. of the Chicago area and Ellen M. Whitt of New Brunswick, New Jersey; daughter-in-law, Sally M. Whitt; son-in-law, Robert B. Miller; two grandchildren, Michael and Stephen Whitt; and his sister, Anne Baird of Midlothian. The family will receive friends at the Joseph W. Bliley Funeral Home, 6900 Hull Street Road in Chesterfield, on Thursday, October 20, 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services and a Masonic service will be held at the First Unitarian Church, 1000 Blanton Avenue in Richmond on Friday, October 21, at 10 a.m. Burial will take place at the Sunset Memorial Park in Chester, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association.