I am Sherry (Whitaker) Barnett, Bill was my younger brother.  I have many wonderful memories of growing up with Bill and our family in Oklahoma.  I am thankful I had such a loving brother and family.  And it is comforting to know that he is in heaven with our Lord and that I will see him again when I get to Heaven.  I am praying for Judy and everyone that is missing Bill. 

He was always Billy to me and always wll be.  He was my nephew and I loved him.  He asked his Mother to learn to make sandwiches like Aunt Bette.  It wasn't the sandwiches he liked- he liked that I put the Miracle Whip all the way to the edges of the bread! 😘
I will miss him.

Bill, and I were cousins, I played trains with him, and he played dolls , with me. We loved riding bikes together.  We had a lot of fun growing up.  We grew up, and grew apart. Loved him a lot. Linda

I loved Bill as cousin and friend and always appreciated the extent to which he chose to be a much better person than any of the examples he had. 

Condolence to Judy and the family.   Bill touched many lives during his tenure at Westville School and community!  I loved his dry sense of humor and knowledge! Praying for God’s Comfort and Peace for the family🙏🏻

So sorry for your loss. God be with you all. 

 Mrs. Whitaker & family, I am so sorry for your loss.  Mr. Whitaker was a wonderful teacher.  His patience and kindness, made being in band, a great experience.
May God give you all, peace and comfort.


I have so many good memories of Mr. Whitaker.   He was always a positive influence.  From Quiz Bowl trips and practice to computer class, he always gave 100% of himself.  His dry sense of humor is unforgettable.  So sorry to hear of his passing.  He left a lasting impression on so many students.

Aimee (Guthrie) Cherry WHS Class of ‘97

I LOVED band  and Mr Whitaker. He was such an encourager.  To this day, I have such a love for music and the sounds of all the many instruments in a band, especially the ones he allowed me to learn to play.  Prayers for his family and many loved ones
🙏🏼💜💛🎼

Mr. Whitaker, thank you for everything you have done.  You had such a profound positive impact on my life.  The career path you inspired has been a extreme blessing for my family.  Thank you for being an awesome educator.

I still remember:
If your mama is a washing machine and your dad is a lawn mower, how many pancakes does it take to shingle a dog house? 13 because there are no feathers in a football.

Mr. Whitaker was my favorite band director! 
I'm so very sorry to hear of his passing, and my condolences to Judy and family. 

Bill Whitaker was an amazing man and teacher. He went above and beyond with the band; he was like a father to each of us and was always there with answers any questions we had. He motivated us to be better musicians and people in life. He really made a difference in my life and was always ready to crack a joke and I miss the smell of the cherry tobacco and his pipe. I used to talk to him for long periods about radio-controlled planes his passion. I think of him often and will miss him dearly.

Class of 1985. Mr Whitaker was an amazing man. I loved playing trumpet from 8th grade to when o graduated in 1985. He will be truly missed. 

I’m so sorry to hear this. I had Mr. Whitaker for band from 5th grade to 12th grade. He made learning fun and entertaining. One thing he did was care for his students. He touched so many lives and will be missed by many. Prayers for Mrs Whitaker and family. Class of ‘82


We send our deepest condolences to the family.   He made learning fun.  He had us marching all over the field. True half time show!!   True educators care about their kiddos - he was one.  
Dwayne and Tammy (Adair) Eagleton.  Class: 1980 & 1982.   WHS

Raynard and I (Raymond) had so much fun helping Bill build a TV and reloading to dove hunt.  He was a great friend and will miss him.

I have very fond memories of Bill Whitaker we used to call him uncle Bill lol. He was a great man a great teacher I always had the best time in my third period class where I played clarinet. He always had a smile on his face and he always took great grace with all of his students. He will be truly missed rest in peace uncle Bill

I’m so sorry for the family’s loss.  I can remember being in band in junior high and a band room full of knuckle heads, me included.  But he always made it fun .  He let us play good 80’s music and taught us a lot.  I mean how cool was that.  Anytime I think of Mr. Whitaker it always brings a smile to my face. He will be greatly missed. 

Mr. Whitaker was my band director for many years and I enjoyed every minute of it. So many fun times with him at the helm!  He truly cared about his students and wanted everyone to be successful!  Prayers for his family. 

My sincere condolences to The family. Although I was not in the band , I remember him as nice man who seemed to really care about his students. I think both he and Ms Judy loved what they did and cared about the kids. 

Class of 89 he was my band teacher from 5th- 10th grade well until he retired have alot of fun memories of his class an all the trips we all went on prades, football games. RIP Mr. Whitaker sending prayers to the family 

Enjoyed working with Bill for many years.  Always looked forward to talking with him…he always had a story….Prayers for Judy and family.

I played football and basketball at Westville when Bill was the band teacher my Senior year (1975) He knew I had played the trombone in junior high and after basketball season, he asked if I wanted to finish my senior year playing in the band. I really appreciated that and learned a lesson from that experience that I carried over to my coaching career. It’s not about the adults. It’s about the kids. 

Class of 1986
Mr. Whitaker was my Favorite teacher. He was not only my teacher, but my confidant, father figure and friend. He will definitely be missed. Thank you for your life long lessons. Rest in Paradise Mr Whitaker!!

Prayers. He was my band teacher from 5th grade thru 12th. He will be missed. 

I have known Bill since  I was in fifth grade.  He was more to me than just a band/music teacher to me.  He was a friend, father figure and much, much more. I just wish I had known about his passing so I could have paid my respects. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't cross my mind.  There isn't enough space on here to share all of the memories I have with him.  Rest in Peace my friend.  

Mr. Whitaker was one of my favorite teachers at Westville High School.  His band class was my last class of the day for many years. He made us laugh as well as learn. When I think back to the BEST parts of WHS, many of those memories took place in his class or at the football field.  

So sorry to hear of Mr Whitaker's passing. My husband, Mike Carr and I were band members under his leadership at Westville High School. We all loved him and have such fun memories.  So sorry for your loss, Judy and family. 



I was blessed to have been a product of his teachings. He was a tremendous educator and loved by us all at Westville High School. We will miss you sir. Thank you for all you have done for so many students throughout your career. 

Kenny Richard
1980 Graduate
Westville High School

OBITUARY

Major Willis "Bill" Whitaker Jr.

4 September, 1946 – 11 July, 2022

Reed-Culver Funeral Home

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