Alan Raymond Withers

Alan, the third of four children, was born at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio, on November 11, 1951. As part of a military family, his early years took him to Japan, Alexandria, VA, and Satellite Beach, FL. He is preceded in death by his parents Col (Retired) Raymond Rankin Withers and Clara Kathleen Mitchell Withers, sister Janice Withers Velez, and son Jed Michael Withers.

His school years were split between his father’s military duty at Patrick Air Force Base and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he graduated from Ft. Hunt High School, Alexandria, VA, in 1969; he played varsity basketball and baseball. He attended the University of South Florida, where he continued his love of baseball as a scholarship collegiate pitcher. Later in life, he took up golf and achieved the duffer's lifelong dream of hitting a hole-in-one in 2000.

He provided a good and nurturing life for his three children in Brevard County while working as a Business Analyst at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Ground Operations Launch Program at PRC, Lockheed Martin Operations Corporation, and United Space Alliance. Before retiring from the Space Center in 2011, he was awarded the Silver Snoopy Award in 1982, designated by the NASA Astronaut Corp to acknowledge outstanding work performance contributing to human flight safety and mission success. He took great pleasure in coaching all his children in youth sports and always aspired for his children to chase their dreams.

Surviving Alan includes his wife Deborah Freed Withers, stepsons Michael Hugh Sutherland and Kevin Dane Sutherland (step-grandchildren – Corey Michael Sutherland, Cali Rose Sutherland, Dane Leo Sutherland, Hailey Rose Sutherland, respectfully), son Andrew Alan Withers (Alana), daughter Jessalyn Withers Steele (Matt), daughter-in-law Christina Burton Withers, grandchildren Noah Fox Withers, Addison Gail Withers, Vivian Rae Withers, Alexander Andrew Withers, Ariana Armida Withers, and Jordan Matthew Steele. His sister Carol Jean Martig (Alan) and brother Gary Mitchell Withers (Susan) are also left behind.

Services will be held May 3, 2025, at Wylie-Baxley, 1360 N Courtenay Pwky, Merritt Island, FL, 32953 at 2:00 PM.