Marie Lorraine Whiter

Marie Whiter was born at the Queen of Angels hospital in Los Angeles, California on the 2nd June 1933, the youngest of seven siblings. Her parents were David Candido and Winifred Marie Valdez. The family home was in Pomona California where David was a farmer and rancher.

Growing up in during World War Two, her brothers and her sisters’ husbands were often away serving in the pacific theater, mostly in the US Navy.

Marie moved to Los Angeles to study nursing. She lived at the YWCA and did her nursing practice at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan on Shatto and Wilshire. She would spend her entire working life at the Good Sam and all of her four children would be born there.

She made good friends at the hospital and in 1959 several of them decided

to spend the summer on a European holiday. Sailing from New York on the Stockholm, they started in Sweden and each in turn met men and went off with them. Now alone, Marie spoke to an Englishman named Robert Whiter from their tour group at Lucerne train station Switzerland. Travelling through Italy, they became better acquainted, wrote for two years and were married in Pomona in 1962.

Marie’s gentle, caring, low key demeanor concealed a more determined and organised character. She was soon made a Head Nurse and ran a tight ship at the hospital. She looked after thousands of patients in her time including Karen Carpenter, Elizabeth Taylor and ‘Festus’ from Gunsmoke. After retirement, Marie served as secretary of the hospital alumni association.

Bob had ideas, but Marie made them happen. It was Marie who was determined to buy the lovely house on South Bronson Avenue that became the family home and a center of hospitality for the next forty years. It was Marie who drove the family station wagon transporting husband, kids, the weekly grocery shop and umpteen Scouting resources.

In Scouting, Marie served as a Den Leader in Cub Pack 169. She went on to become a member of the District committee and staffed the District Roundtable. She attended Wood Badge in 1977 and was one of the founding members of the Wauneka Lodge, a group of volunteers that always made sure there were refreshments at all district Roundtable Meetings. Besides earning her Wood Badge Beads and also attending Philmont’s District Committee Training in 1977. Running parallel to Marie’s boy scouting activities, she was also heavily involved in Girl Scouting, assisting with her three daughters’ troops in Brownies, Juniors, Cadets and Seniors.

Marie loved all things Dickensian, and was able to visit places mentioned in the books during trips to London. She also loved Christmas and welcoming friends from work, family and overseas guests. In later years she enjoyed several cruises with Bob and other family members.

A dearly loved mother and grandma, she remained devoted to Bob until her last moments and died beside him on December 7th 2020.