William J. Whittaker, Iii

“This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it”.  These are the words that guided William James Whittaker, III throughout his life.  He made his entrance in Montgomery, Alabama on February 3, 1942 with parents Doris and Willie Whittaker present.  Willie, as he was known to his family, attended St. Jude Educational Institute and Alabama State College (now University).  After a year at Alabama State, he decided to see the world by joining the Air Force where he served for 8 years in England, France, Alaska and other sites in the US.

On October 1, 1973, he met Matthew Malok at a gay mixer at Yale University in New Haven, Ct. where he and his family had moved.  It was clear from the start that they were destined to have a special friendship.  They agreed right away to call each other Matthew and Wil.  (Over the years, he would be called Bill/Billy by friends and Mr. Whittaker/Mr. Bill by his students and fellow teachers.)  When Matthew got a job in New York City, Wil joined him where they lived for 10 years in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.  Wil finished his undergraduate work at City College of New York, and then earned 2 master’s degrees from Fordham University (learning disabilities) and Teacher’s College at Columbia University (vision impairment).  Wil enjoyed working at the Jewish Guild for the Blind where he worked with young adults.

In 1984, Wil and Matthew moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Wil was employed with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) as an itinerant teacher of blind and visually impaired students in the special education department serving 15 schools from K through 12.  He was beloved by students, teachers and principals alike for his care, devotion and insistence that every child be treated with respect as a unique individual.  He was also an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) serving as State President in Georgia for 2 years.  When Wil retired from APS, he was recruited by Care Improvement Plus, where he worked for 2 years as a roving ambassador distributing information about health benefits for chronic condition special needs patients at health fairs.

In 2008, after 35 years of a loving relationship, Will and Matthew were finally able to marry in the state where they met by the mayor of Matthew’s hometown of Stratford.  In 2015 their marriage was legalized in all 50 states.

In 2017, Wil and Matthew moved to Sun City in Bluffton SC.  They loved the slower pace of living in the Low Country, relished walking their little rescue dog Sofi, riding their electric bikes and golf cart, and making new friends in this 55+ community.  They celebrated their 50th anniversary on a New England/Canada cruise in October 2023.

As a man of faith, having a church family was very important to Wil.  At various times in his life, he was Baptist, Catholic, United Methodist and finally Episcopalian.  He considered it a privilege and a blessing to be a member of All Saints Episcopal on Hilton Head Island where he served on the vestry and on the hospitality committee of Saturday@5.

Wil had a unique and special relationship with his mother, Mama Doris, and wrote to her periodically in his journal.   Here is part of the entry on his 74th birthday in 2016: “Thank you Mama for bringing me into this world!  I know that it was not easy for you, but you endured and kept the faith.  I carved out the time to spend with you tonight.  I wanted to take as much time as I needed to tell you how much I love and have loved you.  You taught us, primarily, about love and, through your actions, how to exemplify it.  Continue your presence in the Lord’s Kingdom with the rest of our family that have joined you.  Until I join you, you are present in a special space in my heart.  Love you much.  First born son, Willie.”

Wil made his transition on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2023 while being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  In addition to Matthew, he is survived by the sons he fostered and encouraged over the years—Alex Wilharm, Brandon Patterson, Jason Lowery, Jon Woody, Josh Noblitt and Toby Rhinehart.  He’s also survived by sister, Renetta Whittaker-Hill (Jon Sr.), brother Gerald Whittaker (Mattie), sister in law Karen Domena (Joe), brother in law Rick Malok (Debbie), brother in law Mark Malok (Sandi), numerous nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews and an abundance of loving friends.  He was predeceased by his mother and father, and his sisters Ellenor Whittaker-Rencher and Deborah Ann Whittaker-Cole.

In lieu of flowers, visit the Leukemia and LymphomaSociety at diy.lls.org/WJWhittaker or if you prefer St. Joseph’s Indian School at stjo.org/memorial and click in lieu of flowers.

The burial will be private at Beaufort National Cemetery with military honors.  The Celebration of Life service will be held on Wil’s 82nd birthday, Saturday, February 3 at 1 PM at All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 3001 Meeting St., Hilton Head Island, SC 29926.  The service will be livestreamed for persons not able to attend here .

The video below features Wil and Matthew giving a PSA about Living Beyond Expectations in 2015 in Atlanta!

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Web: http://diy.lls.org/WJWhittaker

St. Joseph's Indian School
Web: http://stjo.org/memorial