Thomas "Ed", "Eddie" Whittemore Jr.

Thomas Edward Whittemore, Jr. Obituary

Thomas Edward Whittemore, Jr. (Ed) (Eddie, to "old" friends) was born on July 15, 1942 to long-time Forney residents Thomas Edward Whittemore Sr. and Adelaide Criswell Whittemore back in the day when Forney was a very small farming community. Ed spent most of his life in the Forney community.

Ed was a graduate of Forney High School (1960), the University of North Texas (1964), and the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU (1979). He was also a Certified Public Accountant (1971).

Having participated in UNT's ROTC program, he entered the Air Force upon graduation from college as a Second Lieutenant in 1964, serving four years of active duty and continuing reserve duty thereafter, ultimately reaching the rank of Captain.

Having completed his military service, Ed was a banker for more than twenty years - first as an auditor at Republic Bank in downtown Dallas and then at Greenville Avenue Bank in Dallas (through many name changes). When he retired from banking, he held the position of Executive Vice President. Ed then changed career paths and took a position at Juliette Fowler Homes in East Dallas as Director of Finance, a position which he held for nearly twenty years. He always said, however, that the banking industry was his "first love."

Ed married Kay Cobb Brashear in 1972, a marriage that has endured for nearly fifty-three years. Together they raised two children - Melissa Michele Whittemore and Kevin Edward Whittemore. Michele passed away unexpectedly in 2012, a loss that grieved Ed and the entire extended family deeply. Kevin graduated with a finance degree and he became a banker, which pleased Ed immensely.

Ed loved children, liked playing with them and taking them to places for fun activities. He was a devoted father to his children. It became a family joke that if Kevin couldn't go out and play, his friends would say "Can Kevin's father come out and play?" While he did not have grandchildren, he served as kind of a surrogate grandfather to his brothers' children - Joseph, Ben, Brittany and Brandon. He also did the same in his older years with children in Kay's family - he adored twins Jack and Oliver and played dolls and "girly" things with Lilah.

All through Ed's life, he was loyal to his home town and his church. He served for many years as President of Forney's Hillcrest Cemetery, working closely with its Board and specifically with Ann Stewart and Carl Eudy. He was an officer of the Forney Ex-Student's Association and worked diligently trying to promote the association and keep alive the treasured memories of those having graduated from FHS. He was very proud the year he was inducted into Forney High School's Hall of Fame. He was also the Treasurer of the Methodist Church of Forney for over twenty-five years, devoting countless hours to keeping the church on a good and steady financial footing.

Ed is survived by his wife and son. Also surviving are his brothers - Pat Whittemore (Sue) of Franklin, TN and Jon Whittemore (Marion) of Georgetown, TX. He is also survived by a number of nieces and nephews who loved him dearly, cousins, great nieces and nephews, and good friends dating back as far as his childhood.

Ed was an extremely kind person, a somewhat shy person who treasured his parents, his brothers, his wife and children, his extended family, and his good friends. He served as a mentor to many in the banking industry and trained a good number of people entering the banking profession. Dennis McCuistion, a long-time Forney friend, described Ed as having always been a "gentle soul" and that is an extremely accurate description. We are richer for having known him and we shall miss him.