Mr. Whitaker was born March 26, 1923, in Stratford, Oklahoma, to Charles Alexander and Nora Lee (Jones) Whitaker.  He grew up in the Ada and Coalgate area, and entered the US Army Air Corps on December 4, 1942. After serving campaigns in Japan, India, Burma and China, he was honorably discharged a Corporal on December 11, 1945. He married Nora Lee Scroggins on June 1, 1952, in Tulsa. He worked as an auto service technician for Fred Jones Ford in Tulsa for 38 years before retiring to Salina in 1984. He enjoyed farming, fishing, keeping his vegetable garden, and spending a lot of time outdoors. While raising his family in Tulsa, he was also a very active leader of Boy Scout Troop 90 for several years.

He passed from this life on Friday, January 11, 2002, near Salina.  He is survived by his wife Nora Lee Whitaker of the home; three sons, Terry Lee and wife Donielle Whitaker of Broken Arrow, Gaylen Ray Whitaker of Salina, Monte and wife Karen Whitaker of Owasso; daughter Dianna Lynn Boffer and husband John of Tulsa; four sisters, Winnie Short of Texas, Margaret Agee of Muskogee, Liness Pollock of California, and Minnie Bronsema of Utah; eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by both parents, and his four brothers, Everett, Raymond, Vernon, and Cecil Whitaker.

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