Terrence E. “Terry” Whittemore passed away in Altamonte Springs, Florida on April 3, 2021 at the age of 87 years. Terry is survived by his wife Mary and their blended family, which includes eight children, 13 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.
Terry was a loving husband to Mary, his wife of almost 39 years. He woke up early to make sure she started each day with the perfect cup of coffee. Affectionately known as Terry, Dad, Grampy, and Uncle Terry, he adored his family. Terry was a wonderful storyteller and loved to share his tales and life experiences with everyone he met.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 2, 1933, Terry joined the U.S. Air Force after completing high school and served for 17 years in various capacities on three continents. His first assignment was in the Sahara Desert in North Africa. He trained as a radar operator monitoring Russian aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea and later served at several radar sites in the United States. In late 1962 during the Vietnam War, Terry attended a two-year IBM computer maintenance school and was assigned to air traffic control duties. This was in the very early stages of the “computer world” and was the highlight of his military career. Terry’s military service provided him the opportunity to attend college and begin a career in the electronic manufacturing business, where he worked in Florida and Texas until his retirement at the young age of 80 years.
After retirement, Terry filled his time with his passions — family, golf, art, gospel music, and maintaining immaculate cars. Terry “lived to golf, and golfed to live.” He enjoyed sharing this sport with his children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Terry made his first hole-in-one at the age of 77, and proudly scored a 79 in golf on his 79th birthday. Terry was always on the lookout for the perfect golf club and was skilled at convincing Mary that each one would help improve his game!
Terry was very meticulous and this attention to detail was evident in the pristine condition of his cars and his beautiful art. He took great pride in making sure his cars were clean inside and out, and loved showing them to his nieces and nephews. Terry loved painting with oils and acrylics, as well as creating pencil and chalk drawings. His legacy will live on through the unique artwork he gave to his family and friends, who will treasure these gifts of love.
Mary and Terry enjoyed traveling to Alaska, listening to gospel music, and especially their annual trips to the Gaither Family Homecoming in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They also loved gathering with family and friends to cheer for their favorite sports teams, including the New England Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Stars, and the Texas Rangers. A party was not complete unless it included Terry’s famous boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce.
A celebration of life for Terry will be at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 9 at Maitland Community Park at 1400 Mayo Avenue, Maitland, FL. A graveside inurnment service will be held at the Jacksonville National Cemetery in June.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Terry’s name to First Tee youth development at www.Firsttee.org, Covenant House Alaska at www.coveycares.org, or the charity of your choice.
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